Methyl phenylacetate 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. T ...

that is the

methyl ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ar ...

of phenylacetic acid, with the structural formula C₆H₅CH₂COOCH₃. It is a colorless liquid that is only slightly soluble in water, but soluble in most organic solvents. Methyl phenylacetate has a strong odor similar to honey. This compound also occurs in brandy,

capsicum ''Capsicum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to the Americas, cultivated worldwide for their chili pepper or bell pepper fruit. Etymology and names The generic name may come from Latin , me ...

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

, and some

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

. It is used in the flavor industry and in perfumes to impart honey scents.

Methyl phenyldiazoacetate Methyl phenyldiazoacetate is the organic compound with the formula C6H5C(N2)CO2Me. It is a diazo The diazo group is an organic moiety consisting of two linked nitrogen atoms ( azo) at the terminal position. Overall charge neutral organic comp ...

, precursor to cyclopropanation agents, is prepared by treating methyl phenylacetate with p-acetamidobenzenesulfonyl azide in the presence of base.

References

{{Reflist * "Methyl Phenyl Acetate."(February 22, 2007)
Chemical Information
The Good Scents Company. Retrieved on January 22, 2008. Acetate esters Flavors Ester solvents Methyl esters Pheromones Phenyl compounds Sweet-smelling chemicals