Chemistry

Benzyl Alcohol-chemical structure|uses|properties|safety

Benzyl alcohol is an organic compound with the chemical formula C₆H₅CH₂OH. From the name, it is clear that it contains a benzene ring with an alcohol group. Its IUPAC name is phenyl methanol. They are not soluble in water but can form miscible mixtures with diethyl ether and other alcohols. Most of the plants are known to produce C₆H₅CH₂OH. In this article, we discuss the chemical structure, uses, side effects, synthesis, properties, and research of benzyl alcohol.

Chemical structure of Benzyl alcohol

Benzyl alcohol chemical structure — Chemical structure of benzyl alcohol

Uses of benzyl alcohol

Benzyl alcohol is a general solvent for inks, paints, lacquers, and epoxy resin coating. They are precursors to a variety of esters used in the manufacture of soap, perfume, flavors and fragrances, and food additives. They are also useful as a decreasing agent, dyeing polyamide, and as a bonding aid. It is also used as a bacteriostatic and also local anesthetic. It is also used as a photographic developer. Unlike other solvents, benzyl alcohol is not flammable. This helps in shipping benzyl alcohol around the world.

They are also used in industries as :

Adhesive and sealant chemicals.
Dyes
Laboratory chemicals.
Lubricants and lubricant additives
Paint additives and coating
Photosensitive chemicals.
Paint additives and coating additives
Plating agents and surface treating agents.
Electrical and electronic products
Fabric, textile, and leather products are not covered elsewhere.

Synthesis of benzyl alcohol

Benzyl alcohol is manufactured industrially from toluene via the hydrolyzed benzyl chloride.

Properties of benzyl alcohol

Physical properties

It appears as a colorless liquid.
It has a slightly aromatic odor
It has a density of 1.044 g cm ^-3
It has a melting point of -15.2°C.
The boiling point of benzyl alcohol is 205.3° C.
They are soluble in benzene, methanol, ether, acetone, chloroform, ethanol.

Chemical properties

They interact with carboxylic acids to form esters just like most alcohols.
Benzyl esters are common protecting groups in organic synthesis because they can be extracted by mild hydrogen lysis.
Benzyl alcohol reacts to N-benzyl acrylamide by administering acrylonitrile.

Hazards in using benzyl alcohol

Benzyl alcohol can cause many severe impacts if not used properly:

Eye: Cause severe eye irritation, redness
Skin: Causes skin irritation. They also cause defatting of the skin if it is prolonged contact. Contact with the skin may cause local anesthesia.
Inhalation: Vapours cause irritation of the respiratory system.
Indigestion: May cause severe gastrointestinal tract irritation with nausea, vomiting, and possible burns.

Benzyl alcohol in research:

Nanostructures are widely investigated as catalytic agents. In this article, a gold-cerium oxide nanocomposite is used for the low-temperature catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. [Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11050641]

In this article you can learn how to detect the presence of benzyl alcohol using FTOR spectroscopy (which is a chromatography technique for chemical compounds) [ link: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010027]

Green chemistry is a new field of chemistry that aims to reduce the impact on the environment. Here in this article authors have devices a green route by using sonication for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde.