Description
Phenol ice crystals refer to the solid crystalline form of phenol (C₆H₅OH), also known as carbolic acid. At room temperature, phenol can exist as a white or faintly pink crystalline solid with a sweet medicinal odor. These crystals form when phenol is cooled below its melting point of approximately 40.5°C.
🔬 Properties
| Property | Value/Description |
|---|---|
| Molecular Formula | C₆H₆O |
| Appearance | White to faintly pink crystals |
| Melting Point | ~40.5°C |
| Boiling Point | ~182°C |
| Density | 1.07 g/cm³ |
| Solubility in Water | ~8 g/100 mL at 20°C |
| Odor | Sweet, tarry, medicinal |
| pKa | ~9.89 |
| Toxicity | Highly corrosive and toxic; penetrates skin easily |
| Photophysical Behavior in Ice | Changes significantly; bathochromic shift observed |
🧪 Uses
Phenol crystals are widely used across various fields:
- Medical: Used by podiatrists and doctors for phenolisation, a procedure to prevent nail regrowth during matrixectomy.
- Industrial: Raw material for producing:
- Phenolic resins
- Bisphenol A (used in polycarbonate and epoxy resins)
- Caprolactam (for nylon production)
- Laboratory: Used in DNA extraction and molecular biology protocols.
- Consumer Products: Found in antiseptics, mouthwashes, throat lozenges, and skin treatments.
⚙️ Applications
Phenol ice crystals have specialized applications:
- Environmental Chemistry: Studies show phenol behaves differently when frozen, undergoing photolysis more readily due to shifts in light absorption.
- Freeze Crystallization: Used in eutectic freeze crystallization processes to purify water and separate salts. Phenol influences crystal growth and purity.
- Spectroscopy: Reference spectra of frozen phenol are used in environmental monitoring and pollutant modeling.
✅ Advantages
Phenol ice crystals offer several benefits in specific contexts:
- Enhanced Photodegradation: In icy environments, phenol becomes more susceptible to breakdown by sunlight, aiding pollutant removal.
- Improved Crystal Purity: In freeze crystallization, ice formed in the presence of phenol can reach 97–100% purity after minimal washing.
- Valuable Reference Material: Crystalline phenol provides consistent data for spectroscopic and environmental studies.
- Effective Antiseptic: Penetrates tissues and provides strong antimicrobial action, often used as a benchmark for other disinfectants
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.