Dodecylbenzene

Dodecylbenzene
IUPAC name Dodecylbenzene
Other names 1-Phenyldodecane, Phenyldodecane, n-Dodecylbenzene, Laurylbenzene
Identifiers
CAS number	123-01-3 Y
ChemSpider	28977 Y
Jmol-3D images	Image 1
SMILES c1ccccc1CCCCCCCCCCCC
InChI InChI=1S/C18H30/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-12-15-18-16-13-11-14-17-18/h11,13-14,16-17H,2-10,12,15H2,1H3 Y Key: KWKXNDCHNDYVRT-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y InChI=1/C18H30/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-12-15-18-16-13-11-14-17-18/h11,13-14,16-17H,2-10,12,15H2,1H3 Key: KWKXNDCHNDYVRT-UHFFFAOYAI
Properties
Molecular formula	C18H30
Molar mass	246.43 g/mol
Appearance	colourless liquid
Density	0.856 g/cm3
Melting point	-7 °C
Boiling point	290 - 410 °C (mixture of isomers)
Solubility in water	insoluble
Hazards
NFPA 704	1 1 0
Flash point	135 °C
Y (verify) (what is: Y/N?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Dodecylbenzene is an organic compound with the formula C₁₂H₂₅C₆H₅. This colourless waxy solid consists of a dodecyl group (C₁₂H₂₅) attached to a phenyl group (C₆H₅). Dodecylbenzene is a precursor to sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, a surfactant that is a key ingredient of household laundry detergents, such as Tide.^[1]

Production

Dodecylbenzene can exist as six isomers (ignoring optical isomers), depending on which carbon of the dodecyl group that is attached to the benzene ring. This compound and some related ones with the formulae C_10+nH_21+2nC₆H₅ (n = 0-6) are produced industrially by treating the corresponding alkenes C_10+nH_20+2n with an excess of benzene in the presence of hydrogen fluoride or related acid catalysts. The resulting alkylbenzene compounds are sulfonated to give the corresponding sulfonic acids. This sulfonation can be highly specific to place the sulfonic acid group across the ring, in the 4-position. The resulting sulfonic acid is then neutralized with base to give sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, which is subsequently blended with other components to give various cleaning products.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Kurt Kosswig,"Surfactants" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, 2005, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a25_747

External links

• Safety MSDS data