4-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID

''
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid
Chemical name
Other names	''p''-Hydroxybenzoic acid ''para''-Hydroxybenzoic acid
Chemical formula
Molecular mass	g/mol
CAS number	[]
Density	g/cm³
Melting point	°C
SMILES

'4-Hydroxybenzoic acid', or ''p''-hydroxybenzoic acid, is a phenolic derivative of benzoic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that is slightly soluble in water and chloroform, but soluble to extremely soluble in alcohols, ether, and acetone.
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is primarily known as the basis for the preparation of its esters, known as parabens, which are used as preservatives in cosmetics.

Contents

Production

See also

References

External links

Production

4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is produced commercially from potassium phenoxide and carbon dioxide in the Kolbe-Schmitt reaction. It can also be produced in the laboratory by heating potassium salicylate with potassium carbonate to 240 °C, followed by treating with acid.^[1]

See also

The closely related 2-hydroxybenzoic acid is known as salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin.

References

1. Organic Syntheses, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, Coll. Vol. 2, p. 341 (1943).

External links