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This post is on aldehydes, ketones, and esters containing benzene or "of benzene". A graphic consisting of ball-and-stick model examples for each compound type is provided below.
Notice how similar the three molecular structures look, yet they are three different compounds with very different uses.
Phenyl acetaldehyde occurs in nature because biosynthetic reactions easily produce it from phenylalanine, an amino acid with a similar structure. Phenyl acetaldhyde is also used to control synthesis reactions for polyester production and was even used to make the artificial sweetener, aspartame.1 Phenyl acetone is a metabolite of amphetamine and is also a schedule II controlled substance due to its use in the synthesis of methamphetamine by "amateur chemists". The compound is also used in the production of pesticides and anticoagulents.2 Phenyl acetate is the ester produced in the reaction of phenol with acetic acid. Several commercial flavorings and odorants are derived from phenyl acetate, such as methyl phenylacetate: A compound produced from methanol and phenyl acetate imparting strong honey-like aromas and flavors.3
So, there you have it - three aromatic compounds with very similar chemical structures but, decidedly, different properties and characteristics!
That's all for now and, as always, thank you for reading!
1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylacetaldehyde
2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylacetone
3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_phenylacetate
http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1008431.html
A Publication of http://ExcellenceInLearning.biz
This post is on aldehydes, ketones, and esters containing benzene or "of benzene". A graphic consisting of ball-and-stick model examples for each compound type is provided below.
Notice how similar the three molecular structures look, yet they are three different compounds with very different uses.
Phenyl acetaldehyde occurs in nature because biosynthetic reactions easily produce it from phenylalanine, an amino acid with a similar structure. Phenyl acetaldhyde is also used to control synthesis reactions for polyester production and was even used to make the artificial sweetener, aspartame.1 Phenyl acetone is a metabolite of amphetamine and is also a schedule II controlled substance due to its use in the synthesis of methamphetamine by "amateur chemists". The compound is also used in the production of pesticides and anticoagulents.2 Phenyl acetate is the ester produced in the reaction of phenol with acetic acid. Several commercial flavorings and odorants are derived from phenyl acetate, such as methyl phenylacetate: A compound produced from methanol and phenyl acetate imparting strong honey-like aromas and flavors.3
So, there you have it - three aromatic compounds with very similar chemical structures but, decidedly, different properties and characteristics!
That's all for now and, as always, thank you for reading!
1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylacetaldehyde
2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylacetone
3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_phenylacetate
http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1008431.html
A Publication of http://ExcellenceInLearning.biz
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