Benzyl alcohol

 

Benzyl alcohol

Chemical formula	C7H8O
OTP appearance	clear liquid
Index of refraction	1.5396
Molar Mass(g/mol)	108.14
Density(g/cc)	1.044
Melting Point(°C)	-15.2
Boiling Point(°C)	205.3
Solubility in water(g/L)	3.5
NFPA 704	1 1 0

Uses

Primary

• Precursor to WHO LEM component benzyl benzoate

Production

Synthesis

Combine benzyl chloride with sodium hydroxide

C₆H₅CH₂Cl + NaOH → C₆H₅CH₂OH + NaCl

Cannizzaro

Partially exchange tails between two molecules of benzaldehyde producing benzyl alcohol and potassium benzoate

2 C₆H₅CHO + KOH → C₆H₅CH₂OH + C₆H₅COOK