BENZYL ALCOHOL LR

Benzyl alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with the formula C₆H₅CH₂OH. The benzyl group is often abbreviated "Bn" (not to be confused with "Bz" which is used for benzoyl), thus benzyl alcohol is denoted as BnOH. Benzyl alcohol is a colorless liquid with a mild pleasant aromatic odor.

The use of sodium hydroxide in the hydrolysis of benzyl chloride yields benzyl alcohol and sodium chloride as the products. The chemical equation for this reaction is given by:

NaOH + C₆H₅CH₂Cl → NaCl + C₆H₅CH₂OH

An alternate method of preparing this compound involves the Grignard reaction between formaldehyde (H-CHO) and phenylmagnesium bromide (Ph-Mg-Br).

Benzyl alcohol is found in many naturally occurring plant products such as Balsam of Peru and is also a component of essential oils such as hyacinth, jasmine, and ylang ylang oils. Benzyl alcohol is also prevalent in hair dyes, shampoos, facial cleansers, sunscreens, fragrances, and cosmetics.

Benzyl alcohol is used as a general solvent for inks, waxes, shellacs, paints, lacquers, and epoxy resin coatings. Thus it can be used in paint strippers, especially when combined with compatible viscosity enhancers to encourage the mixture to cling to painted surfaces.

Dosage

Benzyl alcohol reacts with acrylonitrile to give N-benzylacrylamide.

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