Chemical Properties
white to light yellow crystal powde
Uses
4-nitrobenzyl alcohol is used as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen to study the pathway for the catabolism of 4-nitrotoluene by Pseudomonas.
Uses
4-Nitrobenzenemethanol is a potential building block in the synthesis of various pharmaceuticals.
Definition
ChEBI: 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol is a member of the class of benzyl alcohols that is benzyl alcohol substituted at the para-position by a nitro group. It has a role as a xenobiotic metabolite. It is a member of benzyl alcohols and a C-nitro compound.
Synthesis Reference(s)
Organic Syntheses, Coll. Vol. 3, p. 652, 1955
The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 55, p. 2968, 1990
DOI: 10.1021/jo00296a078Tetrahedron Letters, 19, p. 4985, 1978
Purification Methods
Crystallise the alcohol from EtOH and sublime it in vacuo. Purity should be at least 99.5%. Sublimed samples should be stored in the dark over anhydrous CaSO4 (Drierite). If the IR contains OH bands, then the sample should be resublimed before use. [Mohammed & Kosower J Am Chem Soc 93 2709 1979, Beilstein 6 IV 2611.]
