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Phenylcarbinol is also known as benzyl alcohol. Its chemical formula is C6H5CH2OH and its density is 1.045 g/mL at 25 ° C (lit).
Benzylalcohol is one of the simplest fatty alcohol containing phenyl. It can be seen as benzene substituted by hydroxymethyl, or methyl alcohol substituted by phenyl. It is a colorless transparent sticky liquid with faint aroma. Sometimes benzyl alcohol is placed for a long time, it will smells like bitter almond flavor because of oxidation. Polarity, low toxicity and low steam, so it
is used as alcohol solvent. It is combustible, and slightly soluble in water (about 25ml of water soluble 1 gram of benzyl alcohol). It is miscible with ethanol, ethyl ether, benzene, chloroform and other organic solvents.
Benzyl alcohol mainly exists in the form of free or ester in essential oil, such as jasmine oil, ylang-ylang oil, jasmine oil, hyacinth oil, sesame oil, hyacinths balsam, peru balsam and tolu balsam, which all contain this ingredient.
Benzyl alcohol should not be stored for a long time. It can be slowly oxidized to benzaldehyde and anisole in the air.Therefore benzyl alcohol products often smell like almond aroma with characteristic of benzaldehyde. In addition, benzyl alcohol is also easily oxidized to benzoic acid by many kinds of antioxidants such as nitric acid.
Benzyl alcohol has a narcotic effect. It has a strong stimulating effect on the eye, skin and respiratory system. Ingestion, inhalation or skin contact is harmful to the body. One will feel headache, nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal irritation, convulsion, coma after ingestion of benzyl alcohol. It can lead to death under serious condition. Median lethal dose in rats is 1230mg/kg. When benzyl alcohol enters the body, it is firstly oxidized to benzoic acid and then condenses with glycine in the liver to form hippuric acid and excrets. Intramuscular injection using benzyl alcohol as solvent may result in gluteal muscle contracture.
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