Benzyl Alcohol

Benzyl alcohol is a common chemical molecule found in cosmetics and injectable medicinal formulations. Because to the presence of a benzene ring, this chemical has a mildly aromatic odour. Benzyl alcohol is produced naturally by a variety of plants. Hyacinth, jasmine, and ylang-ylang, for example, contain this chemical and pass it on to the essential oils made from them.

• At room temperature, it is a colourless liquid.

• Phenyl methanol is the IUPAC term for benzyl alcohol.

• When benzyl alcohol is deprotonated, it produces benzylate, which is an anion.                                  

Structural formula of benzyl alcohol:

The methyl group is linked to a hydroxyl group in Benzyl Alcohol. The aromatic ring is also connected to these two attached components. The pi electrons in the benzene ring have already delocalized due to resonance.

This chemical has the same structure as a toluene molecule. The hydroxyl group, on the other hand, substitutes one of the hydrogen atoms in this benzyl group.

Preparation of benzyl alcohol:

Two ways can be used to make benzyl alcohol:

1.A Grignard reaction between phenylmagnesium bromide and formaldehyde can yield benzyl alcohol.

2.When benzyl chloride is hydrolyzed in the presence of sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride and benzyl alcohol are produced as the end products.

Physical properties:  

Physical Properties of Benzyl Alcohol:

•  Acetone, benzene, ether, methanol, and a variety of other organic solvents are all soluble in benzyl alcohol.

• In its natural state, it is colourless.

• Under normal circumstances, benzyl alcohol is a slightly fragrant liquid.

• It weighs 1.044 grammes per cubic centimetre and has a density of 1.044 grammes per cubic centimetre.

• The molar mass of benzyl alcohol is 108.14 grammes per mole.

Chemical properties:  

• The benzylate anion is produced when benzyl alcohol is dehydronated.

• Esters are formed when Benzyl Alcohol reacts with carboxylic acids.

• While conducting a jitter reaction with acrylonitrile, benzyl alcohol generates N-benzyl acrylamide.

• At 20°C (3.5g/100mL) and 25°C (4.29g/100mL), it dissolves in water.

• Benzyl alcohol has a melting point of -15.2C and a boiling point of 205.3C (478.4 K) (257.9 K).

Uses:

Benzyl alcohol has a wide range of applications. These are some of them:

• Benzyl alcohol is utilised in the creation of shampoos, soaps, and skin creams because of its antibacterial and antifungal qualities.

• In paints, inks, and other coatings, benzyl alcohol is used as an epoxide solvent.

• Head lice can be treated with solutions with a 5% concentration of benzyl alcohol.

• It is frequently employed as a dielectric solvent for processing certain nanowires in the phenomena of dielectrophoresis.

• In electronic cigarettes, benzyl alcohol is utilised as a flavour enhancer. It’s mixed in with the fluid.

• It’s also a starting point for many esters.

• Antimicrobial solutions containing a ten percent concentration of benzyl alcohol can be employed.

Health hazards of benzyl alcohol  :

Benzyl alcohol is a low-acute irritant with a modest skin irritant action. The pure chemical caused mild irritation on rabbit skin and considerable irritation on pig skin after 24 hours. In rabbits, a dose of 750 g caused severe eye discomfort. The toxicity of benzyl alcohol is minimal, with effects that vary depending on the species. In rats, oral administration of high quantities of this chemical resulted in behavioural changes. From somnolence and exhilaration to coma, the symptoms escalated. In dogs, intravenous injection resulted in ataxia, dyspnea, diarrhoea, and hypermotility.Sedation, dyspnea, and loss of motor function were observed in adult and newborn mice treated with benzyl alcohol. The toxicity of benzyl alcohol was raised after pretreatment with pyrazolein. The toxicity of disulfiram was unaffected.The acute toxicity was shown to be caused by the alcohol itself, not by bezaldehyde, its principal metabolite, according to the study.

Conclusion:

Acute toxicity of benzoyl alcohol is minimal. In healthy people, it oxidises quickly to benzoic acid, which is conjugated with glycine in the liver and eliminated as hippuric acid. Toxic consequences include respiratory failure, vasodilation, hypotension, convulsions, and paralysis at very high dosages.The gasping syndrome is caused by benzyl alcohol, which is hazardous to newborns. Benzyl alcohol is extremely poisonous and causes significant eye irritation. Corneal necrosis is caused by pure benzyl alcohol. Benzyl alcohol is not regarded a carcinogen, and no data on teratogenic or reproductive consequences are known.