Ethyl Phenylacetate is a volatile aroma component of fruit and honey. It is a clear colourless to pale yellowish liquid with a pleasant, strong, sweet odor reminiscent of honey and a bittersweet flavor. Small amounts are used in flower perfumes and in fruit flavors.
Reported found in grapefruit juice, apple juice, figs, guava, pineapple, papaya, cognac, cider, grape wines and
port wine.
Ethyl phenylacetate was used to study the solvent-based self-healing of epoxy materials. It is also used as a flavoring agent, flavor animal feeds, In perfumery.
Ethyl phenylacetate is prepared by heating at the boil phenylacetonitrile and sulfuric acid in alcohol solution; by esterification of the acid catalyzed by HCl or H2SO4.
ChEBI: Ethyl phenylacetate is a member of benzenes. It is a less toxic, greener solvent. It is non-mutagenic.
Taste characteristics at 10 ppm: sweet, fruity, honey, cocoa, apple and woody
Ethyl phenylacetate is a less toxic, greener solvent. It is non-mutagenic.
Flammability and Explosibility
Non flammable
Moderately toxic by
ingestion. Combustible liquid. Mutation data
reported. When heated to decomposition it
emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes. See
also ESTERS.
Shake the ester with saturated aqueous Na2CO3 (three times), aqueous 50% CaCl2 (twice) and saturated aqueous NaCl (twice). Dry with CaCl2 and distil it under reduced pressure. [Beilstein 9 H 434, 9 IV 1618.]
