Phenyl acetate

Not to be confused with phenylacetate, the conjugate base of phenylacetic acid.
Phenyl acetate
Names
IUPAC name
Phenyl acetate
Other names
Phenol acetate; (Acetyloxy)benzene; Acetoxybenzene
Identifiers
122-79-2 Yes
ChEBI CHEBI:8082 Yes
ChemSpider 28969
Jmol-3D images Image
PubChem 31229
Properties
Molecular formula
C8H8O2
Molar mass 136.15 g·mol−1
Density 1.075 g/mL[1]
Melting point 50 °C (122 °F; 323 K)
Boiling point 195–196 °C (383–385 °F; 468–469 K)[1]
Hazards
Flash point 76 °C (169 °F; 349 K)[1]
Except where noted otherwise, data is given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C (77 °F), 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Phenyl acetate is the ester of phenol and acetic acid. One way that it can be produced by decarboxylation of aspirin. Another way that it can be produced is by reacting phenol with acetic anhydride.

Phenyl acetate can be separated into phenol and an acetate salt, via saponification: heating the phenyl acetate with a strong base, such as sodium hydroxide, will produce phenol and sodium acetate. The two chemicals can then be separated by heat and decantation or heat and filtration.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Phenyl acetate, Alfa Aesar