Relevant thermochemical data of γ-butyrolactone
(GBL), a compound of considerable industrial and environmental significance,
obtained from experimental and computational studies are reported
in this work. The standard (p° = 0.1 MPa) molar
enthalpy of formation, at T = 298.15 K, in the gaseous
phase, was determined from the enthalpy of combustion and vaporization,
obtained by static bomb calorimetry in oxygen and by Calvet microcalorimetry,
respectively. The enthalpy of formation in the gaseous phase was also
determined from G3 calculations. The excellent agreement between the
experimental and computational thermochemical data provided a critical
literature review of GBL and the proposal of new reference values
for this lactone.