p-Tolualdehyde Property

Melting point:

-6 °C

Boiling point:

204-205 °C (lit.) 82-85 °C/11 mmHg (lit.)

Density 

1.019 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

vapor pressure 

0.33 hPa (25 °C)

FEMA 

3068 | TOLUALDEHYDES (MIXED O,M,P)

refractive index 

n20/D 1.545(lit.)

Flash point:

176 °F

storage temp. 

Store below +30°C.

solubility 

water: soluble0.25 g/L at 25°C

form 

Liquid

color 

Clear colorless to yellow

Odor

at 5.00 % in dipropylene glycol. fruity cherry deep phenolic

Odor Type

fruity

explosive limit

0.9-5.6%(V)

Water Solubility 

0.25 g/L (25 ºC)

Sensitive 

Air Sensitive

BRN 

385772

InChIKey

FXLOVSHXALFLKQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N

LogP

2.25

CAS DataBase Reference

104-87-0(CAS DataBase Reference)

NIST Chemistry Reference

Benzaldehyde, 4-methyl-(104-87-0)

EPA Substance Registry System

4-Methylbenzaldehyde (104-87-0)

Safety

Hazard Codes 

Xn

Risk Statements 

22-36/37/38-36/38

Safety Statements 

26-36-37/39

RIDADR 

NA 1993 / PGIII

WGK Germany 

1

RTECS 

CU7034500

F 

9-23

Autoignition Temperature

395 °C DIN 51794

TSCA 

Yes

HS Code 

29122900

Hazardous Substances Data

104-87-0(Hazardous Substances Data)

Toxicity

LD50 orally in Rabbit: 1600 mg/kg

Hazard and Precautionary Statements (GHS)

Symbol(GHS)

Signal word

Warning

Hazard statements

H302Harmful if swallowed

H315Causes skin irritation

H319Causes serious eye irritation

Precautionary statements

P264Wash hands thoroughly after handling.

P264Wash skin thouroughly after handling.

P270Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.

P280Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection.

P301+P312IF SWALLOWED: call a POISON CENTER or doctor/physician IF you feel unwell.

P302+P352IF ON SKIN: wash with plenty of soap and water.

P305+P351+P338IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continuerinsing.

p-Tolualdehyde Chemical Properties,Usage,Production

Chemical Properties

Clear colorless to pale yellow liquid. Soluble in alcohol and oils. Sweet-herbaceous, Bitter-almond-like moderately tenacious odor. Not as pungent as Benzaldehyde, but more herbaceous-warm. Intensely sweet, warm-fruity and Bitteralmond-like taste in concentrations lower than 500 ppm.

Uses

p-Tolualdehyde is made by the Vilsmeier reaction employing toluene and dimethylformamide or the Guttermann–Koch reaction employing toluene and carbon monoxide.

Uses

p-Tolualdehyde is used as an intermediate for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, dyes perfumes and agrochemicals. It is also used as a fixative of flavorings. It is also used as an important organic intermediates, used for spices, triphenylmethane dye synthesis, etc.

Uses

p-Tolualdehyde may be used as an analytical reference standard for the quantification of the analyte in the following:

• Air samples using high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV).
• Mango cultivars using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Definition

ChEBI: A tolualdehyde compound with the methyl substituent at the 4-position.

Preparation

p-Tolualdehyde is prepared by oxidation of mixed Tolylalcohols.

Synthesis Reference(s)

Journal of the American Chemical Society, 105, p. 7175, 1983 DOI: 10.1021/ja00362a028
Tetrahedron Letters, 29, p. 6265, 1988 DOI: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)82321-7

General Description

p-Tolualdehyde (4-Methylbenzaldehyde) is an aromatic aldehyde. It has been generated as major oxygenated product during the UV light irradiated oxygenation of p-xylene, via photoinduced electron transfer mechanism. It undergoes condensation reaction with diiron μ-ethylidyne complex to afford μ-vinylcarbyne complex (92% yield).

Flammability and Explosibility

Not classified

Purification Methods

Steam distil the aldehyde, dry it with CaSO4, then fractionally distil it. [Beilstein 7 IV 672.]