| Chemical Properties | white crystalline mass, needles or crystals |
| Uses | Perfumery, flavoring dyes, laboratory reagent. |
| Uses | 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol is used in fragrances, flavoring and as a laboratory reagent. It is also used as a raw material for the preparation of polycarbonates and 4-methyl-benzaldehyde. |
| Production Methods | p-Tolyl alcohol is commercially prepared by reducing p-tolyl
aldehyde. It is used mainly in fragrances, and the
major route of exposure is likely to be dermal contact. |
| Definition | ChEBI: A methylbenzyl alcohol in which the methyl substituent is para to the hydroxymethyl group. |
| Synthesis Reference(s) | The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 52, p. 946, 1987 DOI: 10.1021/jo00381a047 |
| General Description | Needles or off-white crystalline powder. |
| Air & Water Reactions | Slightly soluble in water. |
| Reactivity Profile | 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol can react with acids, acid chlorides, acid anhydrides and oxidizing agents. |
| Health Hazard | ACUTE/CHRONIC HAZARDS: When heated to decomposition 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol emits acrid smoke and toxic fumes of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. |
| Fire Hazard | Flash point data for 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol are not available. 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol is probably combustible. |
| Flammability and Explosibility | Notclassified |
| Purification Methods | Crystallise the alcohol from pet ether (b 80-100o, 1g/mL), Et2O, pentane or H2O (m 61-62.1o). It can also be distilled in a vacuum. [Beilstein 6 H 498, 6 I 248, 6 II 469, 6 III 1779.] |
