Phenylethyl alcohol

Phenylethyl alcohol

Phenylethyl alcohol, whose term in the official IUPAC nomenclature is: 2-Phenylethan-1-ol is an organic compound with a brute or molecular formula: C8H10O.
Phenylethyl alcohol is an organic compound that has an aromatic ring within its molecular structure.
This substance, from the physical point of view, appears as a colorless liquid, often associated with essential oils produced by many plants including rose, peppermint, hyacinth, orange blossom.
Due to the presence in its molecule of a polar alcohol group -OH this alcohol is weakly soluble in water (2 mL / 100 mL H2O), while it is perfectly soluble in ethanol and diethyl ether.
Phenylethyl alcohol is contained in essences that are often used in perfumery to obtain various products such as perfumes, soaps and perfumed detergents, as it gives them a notable rose odor; in particular, phenylethyl alcohol is used in soap to regulate its pH.
It is also used as an additive flavoring in cigarettes.
Phenylethyl alcohol has antiseptic properties for topical use and is often used in combination with phenoxyethanol (50 and 50) or as a substitute for it.

It is not classified as a preservative but is mainly used as an antimicrobial.
Phenylethyl alcohol, as well as being present and extractable in nature, can be synthesized. Among the various procedures there is the Grignard reagent method which sees the reaction between a phenylmagnesium halide (Ph-Mg-X) and ethylene oxide and subsequent acidification, or through the stereospecific hydration of styrene, or through the Friedel reaction. -Crafts of electrophilic substitution on the aromatic ring. Finally, the molecule can also be obtained by exploiting the metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a yeast capable of converting L-phenylalanine into phenylethanol.

Warning: The information shown is not medical advice and may not be accurate. The contents are for illustrative purposes only and do not replace medical advice.