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Glycidol is an epoxide and an alcohol, and as such is a highly reactive compound. It is miscible with water but also reacts with it. It decomposes when distilled at atmospheric pressure.
In 1909, chemist Nikolai Prilezhaev at the Warsaw University of Technology prepared glycidol by epoxidizing allyl alcohol with peroxybenzoic acid. This reaction was a breakthrough at the time and became known as the Prilezhaev oxidation. Glycidol is still manufactured in much the same way; but in 2018, a group of companies built a pilot plant in Teesside, UK, to
Glycidol has a chiral center, but it is generally produced and used as the racemic mixture. It is used as a chemical intermediate and in the production of detergents, healthcare products, and industrial paints and coatings.
As shown in the hazard information table, glycidol presents an unusually large number of health risks. These factors were recently acknowledged when the US Food and Drug administration identified 19 substances as (鈥渆-cigarettes鈥� and 鈥渆-liquids鈥�). Glycidol, along with former Molecules of the Week diacetyl and ethylene glycol, is prominent in the FDA list. The agency now requires manufacturers and importers of the delivery systems to report the concentrations of each compound in its products.
骋濒测肠颈诲辞濒听hazard information
GHS classification*: flammable liquids, category 4 | |
H227鈥擟ombustible liquid | ![]() |
GHS classification: self-reactive substances and mixtures; and organic peroxides, type C | |
H242鈥擧eating may cause a fire | ![]() |
GHS classification: acute toxicity, oral, category 4 | |
H302鈥擧armful if swallowed | ![]() |
GHS classification: acute toxicity, dermal, category 4 | |
H312鈥擧armful in contact with skin | ![]() |
GHS classification: skin corrosion/irritation, category 2 | |
H315鈥擟auses skin irritation | ![]() |
GHS classification: serious eye damage/eye irritation, category 1 | |
H318鈥擟auses serious eye damage | ![]() |
GHS classification: acute toxicity, inhalation, category 3 | |
H331鈥擳oxic if inhaled | ![]() |
GHS classification: specific target organ toxicity, single exposure, respiratory tract irritation, category 3 | |
H335鈥擬ay cause respiratory irritation | ![]() |
GHS classification: germ cell mutagenicity, category 2 | |
H341鈥擲uspected of causing genetic defects | ![]() |
GHS classification: carcinogenicity, category 1B | |
H350鈥擬ay cause cancer | ![]() |
HS classification: reproductive toxicity, category 1B | |
H360鈥擬ay damage fertility or the unborn child | ![]() |
*Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.聽
骋濒测肠颈诲辞濒听fast facts
CAS Reg. No. | 556-52-5 |
Empirical formula | C3H6O2 |
Molar mass | 74.08 g/mol |
Appearance | Colorless viscous liquid |
Boiling point | 167 潞C (dec.) |
Water solubility | Miscible |

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