Benzaldehyde CAS No.: 100-52-7 is an organic compound consisting of a benzene ring with a formyl substituent. It is the simplest aromatic aldehyde and one of the most industrially useful. This colorless liquid has a characteristic pleasant almond-like odor. In fact, benzaldehyde is the primary component of bitter almond oil and can be extracted from a number of other natural sources.

Benzaldehyde can be obtained by many processes. In the 1980s, an estimated 18 million kilograms were produced annually in Japan, Europe, and North America, a level that can be assumed to continue. Currently liquid phase chlorination and oxidation of toluene are the main routes. Numerous other methods have been developed, such as the partial oxidation of benzyl alcohol, alkali hydrolysis of benzal chloride, and the carbonylation of benzene.

Benzaldehyde can be synthesized from cinnamaldehyde obtained from the oil of cinnamon by refluxing in aqueous/alcoholic solution between 90 ° C and 150 ° C with a base (most commonly sodium carbonate or bicarbonate) for 5 to 80 hours, [5] followed by distillation of the formed benzaldehyde. This reaction also yields acetaldehyde.

It is commonly employed to confer almond flavor. Benzaldehyde is used chiefly as a precursor to other organic compounds, ranging from pharmaceuticals to plastic additives. The aniline dye malachite green is prepared from benzaldehyde and dimethylaniline. It is a precursor to certain acridine dyes as well. Via aldol condensations, benzaldehyde is converted into derivatives of cinnamaldehyde and styrene.

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