Trisha Shetty (Editor)

M Cresol

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Formula
  
C7H8O

Molar mass
  
108.14 g/mol

Density
  
1.03 g/cm³

M-Cresol Chemical structure of p cresol and m cresol Figure 3 of 8

Appearance
  
colorless liquid to yellowish liquid

meta-Cresol, also 3-methylphenol, is an organic compound with the formula CH3C6H4(OH). It is a colourless, viscous liquid that is an intermediate in the production of other chemicals. It is a derivative of phenol, an isomer of p-cresol and o-cresol.

Contents

M-Cresol wwwsigmaaldrichcomcontentdamsigmaaldrichstr

Production

M-Cresol MCresol 3Methylphenol Suppliers Traders amp Manufacturers

Together with many other compounds, m-cresol is traditionally extracted from coal tar, the volatile materials obtained in the production of coke from (bituminous) coal. This residue contains a few percent by weight of phenol and isomeric cresols. In the cymene-cresol process, phenol is alkylated with propylene to give isomers of cymene, which can be oxidatively dealkylated (Hock rearrangement) analogous to the cumene process.

Applications

m-Cresol is a precursor to numerous compounds. Important examples include:

M-Cresol mCresol C7H8O ChemSpider

  • pesticides such as fenitrothion and fenthion.
  • synthetic vitamin E via methylation to give the 2,3,6-trimethyphenol.
  • antiseptics, such as amylmetacresol.
  • a solvent for polymers. For example, polyaniline is cast from a solution of m-cresol to form a polyaniline film with a superior conductivity than polyaniline alone. This phenomenon known as secondary doping.
  • preservatives in some insulins.
  • the starting point in the total synthesis of Thymol, an important synthetic chemical for regions lacking natural sources of the flavor compound:
    • C7H8O + C3H6 ⇌ C10H14O

    Natural occurrences

    m-Cresol is a component found in temporal glands secretions during musth in male African elephants (Loxodonta africana).

    M-Cresol mCresol CAS 108394 SCBT

    References

    M-Cresol Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA