Acetophenone

Acetophenone

Detailed Product Description

Acetophenone is the organic compound with the formula C₆H₅C(O)CH₃. It is the simplest aromatic ketone. This colourless, viscous liquid is a precursor to useful resins and fragrances

In instructional laboratories, acetophenone is converted to styrene in a two step process that illustrates the reduction of carbonyls and the dehydration of alcohols:

4 C₆H₅C(O)CH₃ + NaBH₄ + 4 H₂O → 4 C₆H₅CH(OH)CH₃ + NaOH + B(OH)₃

A similar process is used industrially but the hydrogenation step to 1-phenylethanol is done over a copper catalyst

Acetophenone is a raw material for the synthesis of some pharmaceuticals
Precursor to resins
Acetophenone is used to create fragrances that resemble almond, cherry, honeysuckle, jasmine, and strawberry. It is used in chewing gum