Benzyl Alcohol

Benzyl alcohol, also called phenyl methanol or phenylcarbinol,  is a clear,  colorless liquid with a mild pleasant aromatic odour;  melting at -15^o C and Boiling at 205 C. It is a primary alcohol with arene group. It is insoluble in water and readily insoluble in alcohol and ether. Benzyl alcohol is prepared by the alkaline hydrolysis of benzyl chloride. Benzyl alcohol has properties of strong polarity and limited water solubility.

Applications :
Benzyl alcohol is used as a degreasing agent in cleaners and also as a solvent for ink and paint strippers, solvent epoxy. As a reactive intermediate, it reacts quickly with various acids to form esters useful in the soap, perfume and flavor industries.