4,4′-Dihydroxybenzophenone is an

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...

with the formula (HOC₆H₄)₂CO. This off-white solid is a precursor to, or a degradation product of, diverse commercial materials. It is a potential

endocrine disruptor Endocrine disruptors, sometimes also referred to as hormonally active agents, endocrine disrupting chemicals, or endocrine disrupting compounds are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormonal) systems. These disruptions can cause c ...

Synthesis

4,4′-Dihydroxybenzophenone is prepared by the rearrangement of ''p''-hydroxyphenylbenzoate: :HOC₆H₄CO₂C₆H₅ → (HOC₆H₄)₂CO Alternatively, ''p''-hydroxybenzoic acid can be converted to ''p''-acetoxybenzoyl chloride. This

acid chloride In organic chemistry, an acyl chloride (or acid chloride) is an organic compound with the functional group . Their formula is usually written , where R is a side chain. They are reactive derivatives of carboxylic acids (). A specific example o ...

reacts with

phenol Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group () bonded to a hydroxy group (). Mildly acidic, it req ...

to give, after deacetylation, 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone.

Uses

The main application of 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone is as a UV light stabilizer. It and its derivatives are found in

cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

plastics Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their Plasticity (physics), plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be Injection moulding, moulded, Extrusion, e ...

, films,

adhesives Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation. The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...

and coatings,

optical fiber An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means to ...

, and printed circuit boards. It is the precursor to certain

polycarbonate Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, tough materials, and some grades are optically transparent. They are easily work ...

polymers.David Parker, Jan Bussink, Hendrik T. van de Grampe, Gary W. Wheatley, Ernst-Ulrich Dorf, Edgar Ostlinning, Klaus Reinking "Polymers, High-Temperature" in ''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'', Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dihydroxybenzophenone, 4,4'- Benzophenones Phenols