Salicylaldehyde


salicylaldehyde

[¦sal·ə·səl′al·də‚hīd] (organic chemistry) C6H4OHCHO Clear to dark-red oily liquid, with burning taste and almond aroma; soluble in alcohol, benzene, and ether, very slightly soluble in water; boils at 196°C; used in analytical chemistry, in perfumery, and for synthesis of chemicals. Also known as helicin.

Salicylaldehyde

 

(o-hydroxybenzaldehyde), a colorless liquid with a bitter almond odor and a burning taste. Boiling point, 196.8°C; density, 1.167 g/cm3 at 20°C. Salicylaldehyde is miscible in all proportions with ethanol and ether and is readily soluble in benzene.

Salicylaldehyde is found in shrubs of the genus Spiraea. It is usually produced from phenol by the action of chloroform in the presence of an alkali base. It is used in the production of coumarin, saligenin, and salicylaldoxime (an important analytical reagent), and also in analytical chemistry—for example, to detect hydrazine.