Vinylogous - 29-5-2017 at 17:45
I'm looking to get 100-1000 mL of phenol. Now, I could get it for about $30 / 100 mL online (eBay and whatnot), but that just feels a bit steep, given
that millions of metric tons of the stuff are produced a year! Just the principle of it!
Is there not any cheaper source of it?
Dr.Bob - 29-5-2017 at 18:10
For small amounts, that is pretty reasonable. Many chemicals are made by the ton, but still cost a lot for small amounts. Just the shipping fees
from most chemical companies would be $50 per bottle.
Cryolite. - 29-5-2017 at 20:03
You could always make it by decarboxylating salicylic acid. The process has been documented in Prepublication on this forum.
Praxichys - 30-5-2017 at 05:00
I was going to suggest the same. I have done it myself in fair yield. Salicylic acid usually runs around $50/kg, and that will make 680g of phenol at
100% yield, giving you $7.35/100ml.
A more realistic 75% yield brings that to $9.80/100ml. That's nice and cheap, but realize that this prep is time-consuming, smelly, and needs to be
baby-sat. Some applications also allow phenol to be directly substituted for salicylic acid; picric acid is an example.
Vinylogous - 31-5-2017 at 05:47
The use is as a disinfectant/bacteriostat for a solution (DIY sublingual immunotherapy drops). The decarboxylation route might actually be perfect for
this.