''ortho''-Cresol, also called 2-methylphenol, or 2-hydroxytoluene, 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 ...

with the formula CH₃C₆H₄(OH). It is a colourless solid that is widely used intermediate in the production of other chemicals. It is a derivative of

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 ...

and is an isomer of ''p''-cresol and ''m''-cresol.Helmut Fiegein "Cresols and Xylenols" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry" 2007; Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.

Natural occurrences

''o''-Cresol is one of the chemical compounds found in

castoreum Castoreum is a yellowish exudate from the castor sacs of mature beavers. Beavers use castoreum in combination with urine to scent mark their territory. Both beaver sexes have a pair of castor sacs and a pair of anal glands, located in two cavitie ...

. This compound is gathered from the beaver's castor glands and found in the white cedar consumed by the beaver. ''o''-Cresol is a constituent of

tobacco smoke Tobacco smoke is a sooty aerosol produced by the incomplete combustion of tobacco during the smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Temperatures in burning cigarettes range from about 400 °C between puffs to about 900 °C d ...

Production

Together with many other compounds, ''o''-cresol is traditionally extracted from

coal tar Coal tar is a thick dark liquid which is a by-product of the production of coke and coal gas from coal. It is a type of creosote. It has both medical and industrial uses. Medicinally it is a topical medication applied to skin to treat psorias ...

, the volatile materials obtained in the production of coke from

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

. A similar source material is petroleum residues. These residue contains a few percent by weight of

and isomeric

cresol Cresols (also hydroxytoluene or cresylic acid) are a group of aromatic organic compounds. They are widely-occurring phenols (sometimes called ''phenolics'') which may be either natural or manufactured. They are also categorized as methylphenol ...

s. In addition to the materials derived from these natural sources, about two thirds of the Western world's supply is produced by methylation of phenol using methanol. The

alkylation Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkyl carbocation, a free radical, a carbanion, or a carbene (or their equivalents). Alkylating agents are reagents for effecti ...

is catalysed by metal oxides: :C₆H₅OH + CH₃OH → CH₃C₆H₄OH + H₂O Over-methylation gives

xylenol Xylenols are organic compounds with the formula (CH3)2C6H3OH. They are volatile colorless solids or oily liquids. They are derivatives of phenol with two methyl groups at various positions relative to the hydroxyl group. Six isomers exist, of whi ...

. Many other production methods have been examined, including oxidative decarboxylation of salicylic acid, oxygenation of

toluene Toluene (), also known as toluol (), is a substituted aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a colorless, water-insoluble liquid with the smell associated with paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, consisting of a methyl group (CH3) a ...

, and hydrolysis of 2-chlorotoluene.

Applications

''o''-Cresol is mainly used as a precursor to other compounds.

Chlorination Chlorination may refer to: * Chlorination reaction In chemistry, halogenation is a chemical reaction that entails the introduction of one or more halogens into a compound. Halide-containing compounds are pervasive, making this type of transform ...

and

etherification In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula , where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be c ...

gives members of commercially important herbicides, such as

2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid MCPA (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid) is a powerful, selective, widely used phenoxy herbicide. The pure compound is a brown-colored powder. MCPA has been extensively used in agriculture to control broad-leaf weeds as a growth regulator prima ...

(MCPA). Nitration gives

dinitrocresol Dinitro-''ortho''-cresol (DNOC) is an organic compound with the structural formula CH3C6H2(NO2)2OH. It is a yellow solid that is only slightly soluble in water. DNOC and some related derivatives have been used as herbicides. Preparation This ...

, a popular herbicide. Kolbe–Schmitt carboxylation gives ''o''-cresotinic acid, a pharmaceutical intermediate. Carvacrol, essence of oregano, is derived by alkylation of ''o''-cresol with

propene Propylene, also known as propene, is an unsaturated organic compound with the chemical formula CH3CH=CH2. It has one double bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons. It is a colorless gas with a faint petro ...

. The muscle relaxant

mephenesin Mephenesin ( INN) is a centrally acting muscle relaxant. It can be used as an antidote for strychnine poisoning. Mephenesin however presents with the major drawbacks of having a short duration of action and a much greater effect on the spinal co ...

is an ether derived from ''o''-cresol.

Health effects

Most exposures to cresols are at very low levels that are not harmful although, like phenols, cresols are skin irritants. When cresols are inhaled, ingested, or applied to the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...

at very high levels, they can be harmful. Breathing high levels of cresols for a short time results in irritation of the

nose A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes ...

and throat. Aside from these effects, very little is known about the effects of breathing cresols at lower levels over longer times. The acute LD₅₀ for oral ingestion by mice is 344 mg/kg.

References

External links

''o''-CRESOL (ICSC)

(accessed 22 December 2022)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cresol, o- Alkylphenols Antiseptics Cresols Hazardous air pollutants