The spelling of "Salicylal" can be tricky, but can be better understood with the use of IPA phonetic transcription. The word is pronounced as /səˈlɪs.ɪl.əl/, with the stress on the second syllable. It is composed of the prefix "salicyl-" and the suffix "-al". The prefix refers to salicylic acid, a key ingredient in many skincare products, while the suffix "-al" indicates that the compound is an aldehyde. Salicylal is commonly used as a starting material in the production of dyes and pharmaceuticals.
Salicylal is a chemical compound with the molecular formula C7H6O2. It belongs to the class of organic compounds known as phenols, which are aromatic compounds containing a hydroxyl group (-OH) bonded directly to a benzene ring. Salicylal is derived from salicylic acid through the replacement of the carboxyl group (-COOH) with an aldehyde group (-CHO). It is also commonly referred to as 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde.
The compound appears as a colorless to slightly yellow, crystalline solid with a characteristic aromatic odor. It is sparingly soluble in water, but readily dissolves in organic solvents such as ethanol and ether. Salicylal is primarily used in the synthesis of various pharmaceuticals, dyes, and perfumes due to its aromatic nature and reactivity.
In terms of its chemical properties, salicylal is prone to undergo various reactions due to the presence of both the hydroxyl and aldehyde groups. It readily forms Schiff bases with primary amines and can be converted into its corresponding acetal through reaction with alcohols. Furthermore, salicylal can undergo condensation reactions to produce diverse aromatic compounds, including indoles and coumarins.
Overall, salicylal is an important chemical compound widely utilized in the pharmaceutical and fragrance industries for its unique properties and versatility in chemical reactions.
The word "Salicylal" is derived from the combination of two words: "salicyl" and "aldehyde".
1. "Salicyl" refers to salicylaldehyde, which is a compound consisting of a phenol group (-OH) attached to a benzene ring. The term "salicyl" is derived from "salicylic acid", which was the precursor to salicylaldehyde. "Salicylic acid" gets its name from the Latin word "salix", meaning willow tree, as the compound was first obtained from the bark of willow trees.
2. "Al" is a suffix often used in chemistry to indicate the presence of an aldehyde functional group (-CHO). The term "aldehyde" comes from the Latin word "alcohol dehydrogenatus", meaning "alcohol deprived of hydrogen".