BENZOIN METHYL ETHER

PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION
CAS NO. 3524-62-7

BENZOIN METHYL ETHER
EINECS NO. 222-538-7
FORMULA C6H5CHOCH3COC6H5
MOL WT. 226.27
H.S. CODE 2914.50
SMILES

 
TOXICITY  
SYNONYMS 2-Methoxy-2-phenylacetophenone; o-Mthylbenzoin;
alpha-Methoxydeoxybenzoin; Benzoin Methyl ether; Methoxy phenylacetophenone; 2-Methoxy-1,2-diphenylethanone;

CLASSIFICATION

 
 

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL STATE white to off-white powder
MELTING POINT 47 - 49 C
BOILING POINT 188 - 189 C at hPa 15
SPECIFIC GRAVITY

 
SOLUBILITY IN WATER  
AUTOIGNITION  
pH  
VAPOR DENSITY  
NFPA RATINGS Health: 1; Flammability: 0; Reactivity: 0

REFRACTIVE INDEX

 
FLASH POINT > 110 C
STABILITY Stable under ordinary conditions

APPLICATIONS
Polymerization is initiated generally by free radical. There are four types of free radical initiators which initiate polymerization.
  • Peroxides including hydroperoxides (tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide, benzoylperoxide)
  • Azocompound thermal initiators (azoisobutyronitrile)
  • Redoxinitiators (mixture of iron(III) acetylacetonate): free radicals are formed by one-electron transferreactions. Useful in low temperature and emulsion polymerization
  • Photoinitiators (benzoin, benzil dimethylketal)

The main advantage of polymerization started by photoinitiators is temperature-independence and easy control. It can be conducted at very low temperatures and can be stopped simply by removing the light source. Photoinitiators are compounds that break down into free radicals upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Photoinitiators undergo a unimolecular bond cleavage upon irradiation to yield free radicals (benzoin esters; benzil ketals; alpha-dialkoxy acetophenones; alpha-hydroxy-alkylphenones; alpha-amino alkyl- phosphine; acylphosphine oxides). Another type of photoinitiators undergo a bimolecular reaction where the excited state of the photoinitiator interacts with a second molecule (a coinitiator) to generate free radicals(benzo phenones,amines; thioxanthones,amines; titanocenes). Photoinitiators are widely applied in UV curing inks, wood coatings, paper coatings, optical fiber, PCB, screen printing , paper varnish and other surface coatings.

Benzoin is a highly toxic crystalline substance with formula of  C6H5CH(OH)COC6H5, alpha-hydroxy aromatic ketone. It is a white to yellowish crystals; slightly soluble in water, soluble in acetone; melting at 137 C. It is  prepared by the condensation of benzaldehyde in an alkaline cyanide solution. Benzoin and its derivatives are used as intermedaites for the synthesis of organic compounds and as catalysts in photopolymerization. They are used for anticratering in powder coatings.
SALES SPECIFICATION

APPEARANCE

 white to off-white powder

ASSAY

98.0% min
MELTING POINT 56 - 59 C
TRANSPORTATION
PACKING 50kgs in Fiber drum
HAZARD CLASS  
UN NO.  
OTHER INFORMATION
European Hazard Symbols: XN, Risk Phrases: 22, Safety Phrases: 22

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ETHER
Ether is any of a number of organic compounds characterized by an oxygen atom joined with single bonds by two carbon atoms that are part of hydrocarbon groups. The general formula is R-O-R', where R and R' are alkyl or aromatic groups. Ethers are formed by the condensation of two alcohols by heating with sulfuric acid; the reaction is one of dehydration. Ethers can be prepared from alkyl halide reacted with metallic alkoxide (called Williamson synthesis). Ethers are similar to alcohols but are generally less dense, less soluble in water, and have lower boiling points. They are relatively unreactive, which makes them valuable solvents. But ethers will be cleaved at high temperatures by concentrated hydrogen halides. Ethers have relatively low boiling point compare to alkanes as they don't form hydrogen bonds each other. Ethers are more lipophilic than esters [R-C(=O)-O-R']or amides [RCO-NH2]. Ethers are widely used as solvents for various organic reactions because they are relatively the least reactive among common organic compounds except alkanes and fluorocarbons. The common reaction of ethers is cleavage of the C–O bond by strong acids either in linear chain or cyclic structure. Ethers in which oxygen is bonded to primary and secondary alkyl groups can form peroxide compounds in the presence of gaseous oxygen due to two unpaired electrons in oxygen. Ethers can act as Lewis bases in chemical reactions. Commonly, ethers are named simply in listing the alkyl groups in alphabetical order or alkane order such as ethyl methyl ether or methyl ethyl ether, which is methoxyethane in IUPAC nomenclature ( the formula of "alkoxyalkane" ). When ether is a parts of complex molecule or aromatic derivatives, it is described as an alkoxy substituent such as methoxybenzene ( trivial name is anisole). The methoxy prefix indicates the function methyl group joined by single bonds to an oxygen atom, with the general formula  -O-CH3. Cyclic ethers have ring structure where the oxygen has become part of the ring. The term of epoxide indicate three membered cyclic ether (also called oxirane) in which an oxygen atom is joined to each of two carbon atoms that are already bonded to each other; four membered cyclic ether is called oxetane; five membered cyclic ether, furan (or oxolane); six membered cyclic ether, pyran (also called oxane) respectively. Their unhindered oxygen atom carries two unshared pairs of electrons - a structure which favors the formation of coordination complexes and the solvation of cations. Cyclic ethers are used as important solvents, as chemical intermediate and as monomer for ring-opening polymerization. Crown Ether is a macrocyclic polyether whose structure contains hydrogen, carbon and oxygen atoms. Each oxygen atoms are confined between two carbon atoms and exhibits a conformation with a hole (accordingly called "crown").  Anisole is one of the simplest aromatic compound to which ether group is linked. But it is different with aromatic compounds like furan where the oxygen is a part of the ring.  Anisole, C6H5OCH3 (methyl phenyl ether), is a clear liquid that is soluble in ether and alcohol; insoluble in water; boiling point 155 C. Anisole and its derivatives are used as solvents and in perfumery. Anisole can be obtained from anise seed. Anisic acid, p-methoxybenzoic acid, is a part of cresol class antiseptic compounds. It is also used as an insect repellent and ovicide. Anisole, anisic acid, and their derivatives are also widely used in chemical reaction as intermediates to obtain target materials such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, photoinitiators and agrochemicals.