Methyl benzoate

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Methyl benzoate is an organic compound. It is an ester with the chemical formula , sometimes abbreviated as , where Ph and Me are phenyl and methyl, respectively. Its structure is . It is a colorless liquid that is poorly soluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Methyl benzoate has a pleasant smell, strongly reminiscent of the fruit of the feijoa tree, and it is used in perfumery. It also finds use as a solvent and as a pesticide used to attract insects such as orchid bees.

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Synthesis and reactions Methyl benzoate is formed by the condensation of methanol and benzoic acid, in presence of a strong acid..

John McMurry (2025). 9781439049723, Thompson - Brooks/Cole. ISBN 9781439049723

Methyl benzoate reacts at both the ring and the ester, depending on the substrate. Electrophiles attack the ring, illustrated by acid-catalysed nitration with nitric acid to give methyl 3-nitrobenzoate. Nucleophiles attack the carbonyl center, illustrated by hydrolysis with addition of aqueous NaOH to give methanol and sodium benzoate.

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Occurrence Methyl benzoate can be isolated from the freshwater fern Salvinia molesta. It is one of many compounds that is attractive to males of various species of , which apparently gather the chemical to synthesize pheromones; it is commonly used as bait to attract and collect these bees for study.

Cocaine hydrochloride hydrolyzes in moist air to give methyl benzoate; drug-sniffing dogs are thus trained to detect the smell of methyl benzoate.

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Uses Nonelectric heat cost allocators. See: DIN EN 835.

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