Sodium phenylacetate is pale yellow in aqueous solution. It is used as a precursor in production of penicillin G; intermediate for producing heavy metal salts which act as fungicides. Used with sodium benzoate for the treatment of acute hyperammonemia and associated encephalopathy in patients with deficiencies in enzymes of the urea cycle.
Soluble in water; insoluble in alcohol,
ether, and ketones; 50% aqueous solution has p H
7.0–8.5 and is pale yellow. Solution tends to crys-
tallize at 15C.
Its aqueous solution is evaporated to crystallisation on a steam bath; the crystals are washed with absolute EtOH and dried under vacuum at 80o. [Beilstein 9 IV 1614.]
