| Dodecylbenzene | |
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Dodecylbenzene |
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Other names
1-Phenyldodecane, Phenyldodecane, n-Dodecylbenzene, Laurylbenzene |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 123-01-3 |
| ChemSpider | 28977 |
| Jmol-3D images | Image 1 |
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| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C18H30 |
| Molar mass | 246.43 g/mol |
| Appearance | colourless liquid |
| Density | 0.856 g/cm3 |
| Melting point |
-7 °C |
| Boiling point |
290 - 410 °C (mixture of isomers) |
| Solubility in water | insoluble |
| Hazards | |
| NFPA 704 |
1
1
0
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| Flash point | 135 °C |
| (verify) (what is: /?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
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| Infobox references | |
Dodecylbenzene is an organic compound with the formula C12H25C6H5. This colourless waxy solid consists of a dodecyl group (C12H25) attached to a phenyl group (C6H5). Dodecylbenzene is a precursor to sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, a surfactant that is a key ingredient of household laundry detergents, such as Tide.[1]
Dodecylbenzene can exist as six isomers (ignoring optical isomers), depending on which carbon of the dodecyl group that is attached to the benzene ring. This compound and some related ones with the formulae C10+nH21+2nC6H5 (n = 0-6) are produced industrially by treating the corresponding alkenes C10+nH20+2n with an excess of benzene in the presence of hydrogen fluoride or related acid catalysts. The resulting alkylbenzene compounds are sulfonated to give the corresponding sulfonic acids. This sulfonation can be highly specific to place the sulfonic acid group across the ring, in the 4-position. The resulting sulfonic acid is then neutralized with base to give sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, which is subsequently blended with other components to give various cleaning products.[1]