Chemical Structure
In its chemical structure, a cresol molecule has a methyl group substituted onto the benzene ring of a phenol molecule. There are three forms of cresols that are only slightly different in their chemical structure and physical properties: ortho-cresol (o-cresol), meta-cresol (m-cresol), and para-cresol (p-cresol). These forms occur separately or as a mixture. The word tricresol can be used as a synonym for cresol where it means a mixture of o-, m- and p-cresols.
| Isomers of Cresol | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeletal formula |
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| Ball-and-stick model | ||||
| General | ||||
| Common name | o-cresol | m-cresol | p-cresol | |
| Systematic name | 2-methylphenol | 3-methylphenol | 4-methylphenol | |
| Other names | ortho-cresol | meta-cresol | para-cresol | |
| Molecular formula | C7H8O | |||
| SMILES | Oc1c(C)cccc1 | Oc1cc(C)ccc1 | Oc1ccc(C)cc1 | |
| Molar mass | 108.14 g/mol | |||
| Appearance at room temperature and pressure |
colorless crystals | thicker liquid | greasy-looking solid | |
| CAS number | ||||
| mixture of cresols (tricresol): | ||||
| Properties | ||||
| Density and phase | 1.05 g/cm3, solid | 1.03 g/cm3, liquid | 1.02 g/cm3, liquid | |
| Solubility in pure water at 20−25 °C |
2.5 g/100 ml | 2.4 g/100 ml | 1.9 g/100 ml | |
| soluble in strongly alkaline water | ||||
| Melting point | 29.8 °C (303.0 K) | 11.8 °C (285.0 K) | 35.5 °C (309.7 K) | |
| Boiling point | 191.0 °C (464.2 K) | 202.0 °C (475.2 K) | 201.9 °C (475.1 K) | |
| Acidity (pKa) | 10.26 | 10.09 | 10.26 | |
| Viscosity | solid at 25 °C | ? cP at 25 °C | solid at 25 °C | |
| Structure | ||||
| Dipole moment | 1.35 D | 1.61 D | 1.58 D | |
| Hazards | ||||
| MSDS | External MSDS | ? | ? | |
| Main hazards | flammable, ingestion and inhalation toxicity hazard | |||
| Flash point | 81 °C c.c. | 86 °C | 86 °C c.c. | |
| R/S statement | R24/25-R34 ((S1/2)-)S36/37/S39-S45 | |||
| RTECS number | ? | ? | ? | |
| Supplementary data page | ||||
| Structure & properties | n, εr, etc. | |||
| Thermodynamic data | Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas |
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| Spectral data | UV, IR, NMR, MS | |||
| Related compounds | ||||
| Related phenols | phenol, xylenols | |||
| Related compounds | bromo cresol | |||
Read more about this topic: Cresol
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