4-Cyanophenol: Insights, Applications, and Looking Forward
Historical Development
Chemists first drew up the plans for 4-Cyanophenol over a century ago, seeking new ways to turn simple benzene rings into finely tuned reagents. In earlier days, the focus lay on tweaking aromatic compounds to test their limits in dyes and intermediates under the shadow of rapid growth in synthetic chemistry. Researchers saw that appending a cyano group to a phenol not only changed the bench properties but altered how this molecule interacted with others, sparking interest that has carried through generations of experimentation. It took work, sometimes painstaking, to get consistent yields and a pure product. Work on the best routes arrived over decades, driven by demand in pharmaceuticals, dyes, and advanced materials.
Product Overview
4-Cyanophenol, a small molecule sporting both a hydroxyl and a cyano group on a benzene ring, carries the best of two worlds. On one end sits the reactivity of a classic phenol; on the other, the electron-withdrawing push of a nitrile. This combo opens up creative routes for chemists, often serving as both a building block and a transformative intermediate. It's widely stocked in labs aiming to build out more complex aromatic structures, especially where that mix of functionalities allows for both further substitution and nucleophilic addition.
Physical & Chemical Properties
You’ll spot 4-Cyanophenol as a white to off-white crystalline solid, a look that hints at its high purity and ease of storage. It melts just shy of 113°C and boils near 307°C, with a slight phenolic odor typical for its class. Solubility splits between moderate in water and much greater in common organic solvents like acetone, alcohol, or DMSO. The molecule’s cyano group draws electron density, lowering its phenolic pKa to about 7.5, making mild bases enough to deprotonate. These changes ripple through its chemistry: lower reactivity in classic electrophilic aromatic substitution, and heightened ability to participate in nucleophilic aryl transfer or condensation with reactive carbonyls.
Technical Specifications & Labeling
Common labeling fronts include the chemical’s full name, synonyms, precise CAS number (94-89-5), molecular formula (C7H5NO), and a purity mark that often crests 98%. Suppliers include batch number, date of manufacture, and recommended shelf life. Analytical standards usually rely on NMR and HPLC results to certify identity and check impurities. The packaging avoids glass-on-glass or metal caps, staying inert with HDPE bottles, and warnings flag both irritancy and the need for careful storage away from heat and oxidizers.
Preparation Method
Most commercial 4-Cyanophenol comes from a two-step sequence. You start with hydroxybenzonitrile synthesis through Sandmeyer reaction on a nitrophenol. This copper-promoted exchange brings cyanide onto a prepped aromatic ring. After that, reduction or acid hydrolysis cleans up the nitro group, dropping in a hydroxyl. Some modern labs reverse this by protecting phenol, nitrilating the deactivated ring, and finally unveiling the hydroxyl group. Each route battles for higher yield, lower side-costs, and less environmental burden. Modern tweaks hone in on milder reaction conditions, smaller waste output, and flow processes that scale for industry.
Chemical Reactions & Modifications
As an intermediate, 4-Cyanophenol invites a wide palette of reactions. That reactive nitrile handles hydrolysis, swapping in an amide or acid group on command. Reduction with lithium aluminum hydride or catalytic hydrogenation redraws it as a benzylamine or aldehyde, prime for further linkage in bioactive compound synthesis. Its phenolic group stands ready for etherification, O-alkylation or C-C coupling when paired with transition metal catalysts. You can build complex azo dyes or pharmaceutical precursors from these modifications, using robust palladium or copper catalysis to link up new aryl partners. Even simple sulfonation or halogenation runs succeed where less substituted phenols sometimes fail, thanks to the unique reactivity profile.
Synonyms & Product Names
Chemical catalogs list this compound as para-cyanophenol, 4-hydroxybenzonitrile, or 4-phenolcarbonitrile. Depending on the application—dyes, pharma, or research—you might find older synonyms like p-cyanophenol, but chemical databases now keep things tight with direct links to CAS numbers to ensure clarity for shipping, hazard documentation, or lab purchase paperwork.
Safety & Operational Standards
Safety data sheets put a spotlight on irritant risks, especially for eyes, skin, and the respiratory tract. Accidental contact can bring on redness, itching, or headache. Lab protocol keeps gloves, goggles, and well-ventilated hoods as standard kit. Small-scale spills mop up with absorbents for phenolics—no casual rinsing down the sink. Heating the compound in open air can evolve toxic fumes, so all heating and reactions stay under hood or in sealed setups. Storage calls for a cool, dry spot—strictly away from strong acids, oxidizers, or foodstuffs. Training for staff covers proper handling, disposal routes, and emergency eye-wash access. Updated guidelines mean clear labels, well-marked exit plans, and quick access to MSDS.
Application Area
You’ll find 4-Cyanophenol in research and manufacturing spaces with their eye on pharmaceuticals and specialty dyes. Its structure gives rise to a rich family of benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles—scaffolds key to next-generation antibiotics, cancer drugs, and dye precursors. In materials science, chemists use it to develop liquid crystals—those cores of modern displays—because the cyano group adds just the right dipole strength. Drug discovery teams turn to it as a linker for enzyme inhibitors and anti-inflammatory leads, owing to that nitrile’s versatility. Eco-friendly dyes tap into its phenolic reactivity to create brilliant, lasting shades for textiles, plastics, and paper.
Research & Development
Current R&D teams study 4-Cyanophenol for two main reasons: as a precursor in synthesizing complex heterocycles and as a standards compound in analytical chemistry. One research path builds up from the molecule into new bite-sized pharmaceuticals, particularly for cancer, fungal infection, and neurology drug screens. By swapping various groups onto the ring, scientists hunt for better targeting and activity. Analytical scientists lean on its clean, sharp NMR and IR fingerprints to develop calibration runs and peak-matching standards for other nitriles or phenols. Some green chemistry teams now probe direct routes from biomass to 4-Cyanophenol, cutting reliance on fossil-fuel feedstocks and slashing toxic waste. Every new tweak in the process gets scrutinized for both efficiency and reduced hazard.
Toxicity Research
Early toxicity studies showed that the compound acts as a moderate irritant, so most work limits human exposure to short, low-dose events. Animal data pegged its acute LD50 well above the threshold for serious risk under strict lab controls, but chronic effects—especially through inhalation or careless waste—brought calls for strict containment and process ventilation. Researchers spend time on breakdown products, checking that final effluents lack persistent toxicants. Regulators require chronic exposure studies for all phenolics, especially when moving into pharmaceutical or dye use, and all recent data points to manageable hazard with basic chemical hygiene and protective gear. Disposal regulations push for incineration or licensed waste transfer, steering clear of landfill dumps or waterway runoff.
Future Prospects
4-Cyanophenol stands on the edge of both traditional aromatic chemistry and modern functional materials. Demand keeps rising from companies building advanced OLED displays, energy-efficient liquid crystals, or targeted oncology drugs. For those in pharma and green materials, every improvement in its efficient synthesis drops costs and cleans up the environmental footprint. Next steps include direct catalytic methods that slice steps out of the old synthetic roadmap, opening the field to continuous-flow manufacturing. Regulatory pressure and climate goals drive research into sustainable feedstocks, seeking biobased routes that pair raw efficiency with lower hazard. If labs can keep scaling greener routes and expand its chemistry in therapeutics and electronics, 4-Cyanophenol will remain a staple, bridging old-school synthesis with the demands of future technologies.
The Role of 4-Cyanophenol in Industry and Science
4-Cyanophenol isn’t the kind of chemical most people have heard about, yet its presence runs quietly through many products and discoveries. Coming from a background that’s crossed paths with both laboratories and everyday products, I’ve seen how these lesser-known molecules shape larger achievements. In the case of 4-cyanophenol, the story starts in the lab and winds up touching everything from medicine to pollution research.
Driving Pharmaceutical Innovation
Drug discovery rarely gets far without the help of fine chemical building blocks. 4-Cyanophenol offers both a phenolic group and a nitrile group, which makes it especially interesting for medicinal chemists. These groups come in handy during the process of synthesizing complex molecules. Sometimes, companies use this compound to construct pharmaceutical intermediates, forming the skeleton for painkillers, cardiovascular medicines, anti-inflammatories, and other specialty drugs.
Manufacturers often transform 4-cyanophenol into other molecules through reactions like amination or reduction. These steps sound technical, but they are the moves that allow researchers to test out new possible treatments. That’s where safety comes in. Before anything reaches the shelf, chemists put candidates through intense screening and toxicity checks. If 4-cyanophenol or its byproducts end up in a drug, there’s been thorough safety analysis, both in pre-clinical and clinical settings.
Advancing Chemistry Research
Laboratories also turn to 4-cyanophenol as a model compound. In fields like organic synthesis and material science, scientists use this molecule to study how different functional groups interact. The nitrile group can be swapped for others, helping chemists figure out how best to attach or remove parts of a molecule. This knowledge trickles down into practical applications, like designing more efficient catalysts or exploring new types of polymers.
Academic research isn’t just about discoveries that never leave the lab. Sometimes breakthroughs in this area produce tweaks that make industrial processes faster or less wasteful. 4-Cyanophenol’s structure lets scientists test theories about electron movement or reaction speed, improving not just research in journals but also commercial-scale chemical synthesis.
Specialty Polymers and Dyes
The world of plastics and fibers depends on unique additives and monomers. 4-Cyanophenol acts as a starting material for certain high-performance polymers, used in things like electronics and engineering parts. The nitrile and phenolic groups help form strong, stable chains. Factories that make specialty dyes sometimes also reach for 4-cyanophenol, making colors stay brighter or more durable.
High-performance materials seem invisible unless they break or fail, yet a simple chemical tweak upstream makes a big difference in how a final product behaves. For fiber optics or printed circuit boards, a slight change in the molecular backbone affects flexibility, resistance to heat, and long-term durability.
Checks and Environmental Impact
With every industrial chemical, there’s always a question about safety and the environment. Chemists know that even small changes in waste streams can build up, so regulations exist to keep things in check. In the case of 4-cyanophenol, responsible disposal and careful control during synthesis play a key role. Companies stay updated with guidelines from agencies like the EPA or their local equivalents, which helps prevent contamination and protects workers and communities.
If society wants new medicines, cleaner technologies, and safer materials, the pathway runs through these small, vital chemicals. Investing in safer production and disposal lets the benefits of 4-cyanophenol reach beyond the lab, reducing risks while supporting scientific growth.
The Shape and Function of 4-Cyanophenol
A lot gets said about big new medicines, but small molecules carry a story worth telling. 4-Cyanophenol lands in that category. Its chemical structure doesn’t just show some lines and dots on paper. Each piece of its setup guides how it acts, how safe it is, and what people can do with it. Let’s start simple: 4-Cyanophenol features a benzene ring, so it’s got that strong, flat base that’s tough and stable. Off that ring, one carbon corner has a cyanide group (-CN), and the opposite corner holds a hydroxyl group (-OH). These two groups sit right across from each other, making the molecule what chemists call a “para-substituted” phenol.
Structure’s Role in Properties and Uses
The setup of those two groups is more than a naming game. That cyanide group drags a sharp bit of polarity into play, which matters if you’re mixing up reactions in the lab or choosing solvents. The hydroxyl group brings classic phenol character — it can donate a hydrogen ion, it forms strong hydrogen bonds, and it tends to make a compound more water-friendly. Together, they set 4-Cyanophenol apart from plain phenol or other cyanated aromatics.
Plenty of dyes, plastics, and pharmaceuticals depend on molecules that can hold their own in reactions. 4-Cyanophenol’s handle on protons and its extra reactivity from the cyanide make it useful for building more complex molecules or tweaking existing ones. Chemists like it because they can get conversions without burning through time and money on purifications.
Safety and Handling
Anyone who’s spent time in a research or industrial lab understands the need to know what they’re dealing with. Cyanide groups cannot be ignored — they come with safety concerns. Even if the -CN group on 4-Cyanophenol isn’t as free-floating as hydrogen cyanide gas, it makes sense to pay attention. Accidental exposure, spills, or poor handling can create risky conditions. OSHA and NIOSH put out detailed guidelines for substances like this, with rules about gloves, fume hoods, and storage that can’t be skipped.
On a personal level, too many chemists learn safety after a scare. It’s far better to read profiles, check the MSDS, and work with a mentor than to trust instincts alone. People sometimes think small-scale work means small-scale danger, which doesn’t always track: concentrated phenols and cyanides both require respect.
Potential for Sustainable Chemistry
A molecule like 4-Cyanophenol brings up old debates about chemicals and their long-term place in society. It can serve as a cornerstone in drug design, material development, or chemical research, but those advantages only weigh out if the industry also looks at greener chemistry paths. Ways to reduce waste, recycle solvents, and recover byproducts can lower the overall impact. Some labs already focus on catalytic pathways that stretch starting materials further or re-use reagents. Upgrading these methods gets more important each year.
Importance of Reliable Data and Real-World Experience
Gathering knowledge about chemicals isn’t just for researchers. Reliable data puts power in the hands of everyone using or regulating these substances. The structure of 4-Cyanophenol shows how small choices in design, safety, and sustainability ripple across industries. People working in chemistry — whether at the bench, in a plant, or teaching — need to pass along clear information, both successes and mistakes. That’s how science keeps moving, and how safety gets built into practice, not just papers.
Why Attention to Safety Really Matters
4-Cyanophenol isn’t a household name, but it deserves respect in the lab. Just touching or inhaling fine powders can quietly cause harm before anyone realizes. Since this compound can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs, ignoring safety gear isn’t an option. I remember times in my own research when a shortcut cost me a few nasty rashes and a pounding headache—harsh reminders of how easy it is to make mistakes when you’re distracted or rushing. Experience has taught me that safety rituals aren’t choreographed for show; they're a shield.
The Right Gear Makes All the Difference
Proper gloves, snug safety goggles, and a lab coat become second nature after a few close calls. Splash accidents or a powder cloud don’t send out a warning before making contact, so gloves like nitrile ones can block chemicals from sneaking through the skin. Eyes sting for hours from just a small mist. Once, a peer of mine shrugged off glasses “just for a minute”—that minute ended with a long trip to the eyewash station. Sticky compounds, sharp-smelling dust, even the click of a vial cap, every step asks for protection.
Ventilation Cuts Down Airborne Risks
Hoods aren’t just for heavy-duty reactions; for powdered chemicals like 4-Cyanophenol, the slightest puff can drift into breathing space. Opening containers and weighing out small amounts always takes place under a working fume hood. Good airflow matters more when working on late-night projects, when few people are around to notice mistakes. Lost focus, inhaled fumes, and the next thing you know you’re coughing your way to the door. The difference between stale air and steady airflow can be a sore throat or worse.
Planning and Clean-Up Go Hand-in-Hand
Clean spaces shape safe habits. Keeping only what’s needed on the bench, wiping up spills the instant they happen, and storing leftover powder in properly labeled tight-seal containers—these steps keep surprises to a minimum. Early in my career, I thought I could remember every detail by memory. After a long day, I learned labels can prevent unwanted reactions and avoid grabbing the wrong jar by mistake. Waste goes straight into a dedicated chemical bin, not the regular trash. That single choice keeps everyone in the building safer.
No Substitutes for Training and Vigilance
Reviewing safety data sheets together as a group—rather than skimming through them alone—helps everyone spot red flags before real issues crop up. Signs and written reminders serve as backstops, but nothing beats daily practice. For instance, periodic drills, even informal ones, help lock in the basics. Knowing the location of the nearest eye wash and emergency shower can speed up the response during an accident. These routines grow from individual effort, but the responsibility ripples outward. Everyone in the lab benefits from shared vigilance and open communication.
Solutions Beyond Equipment
Staying safe around chemicals like 4-Cyanophenol means more than putting on proper gear. Open-door policies help encourage people to ask questions if they ever feel lost about a procedure. Near-misses deserve space for discussion, not blame. Quick feedback lets the group adapt. Labs can build safety checklists into daily workflow, and leaders can keep stock of fresh gloves and working hoods. Culture matters as much as process; trust forms the backbone of safety. From my experience, a team that cares about each other’s well-being keeps problems from turning into emergencies.
Exact Numbers, Exact Outcomes
Ask any chemist what matters in the lab, and precision will always be high on the list. 4-Cyanophenol, a chemical with one cyano group and one phenol group tacked onto a benzene ring, comes with a molecular weight of 119.12 g/mol. That number isn’t some trivia. It decides how reactions scale, how much of the compound you need to measure, and whether a synthesis will work at all.
Why Every Decimal Counts
Back in my graduate days, we had a project running on tight deadlines—exploring new organics for solar cells. Someone made a slight miscalculation with the molar mass for a very similar charged compound. It led to a chain reaction (pun intended): wasted glassware, time ticking by, and trial after trial that only delivered crushed hopes. All that because a single gram was off. Small numbers pack a punch, and 4-cyanophenol’s 119.12 g/mol is a crucial number in more than one sense.
Scaling Up: The Real-World Impact
Take industrial chemistry. A difference of 0.1 g/mol in a multi-ton batch could snowball into extra costs and spoil batches. Raw material purchases, shipping, safety documentation, and waste disposal all hang on the accuracy of molecular weight. This spills beyond the lab and becomes a question of efficiency, cost, and environmental responsibility.
Reliable data doesn’t come out of nowhere. It depends on high-quality measurements, repeated experiments, trustworthy suppliers, and well-maintained equipment. Inconsistencies lead to losses nobody can afford—not in time, money, or safety.
The Science Beneath the Surface
People new to chemistry might shrug at these details, but errors in molar mass calculations pile up in recipes. It’s not much different than baking: too much baking soda, you’re left with a sunken cake. In the lab, too much or too little 4-cyanophenol and the reaction either fizzles or explodes. Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen—each element’s atomic mass counted under the strictest precision. Four carbons (12.01 g/mol), a hydrogen (1.01 g/mol), a nitrogen (14.01 g/mol), and an oxygen (16.00 g/mol), all tallied by hand or a calculator that doesn’t forgive typos.
Stronger Outcomes Require Stronger Basics
Academic fraud, costly recalls, and wasted resources often brave those who don’t respect the numbers. The right molecular weight lets researchers publish honest results. It means industries follow regulations and keep the environment safer. People with eyes on a greener future use these basic numbers to cut down on waste, handle fewer hazardous byproducts, and select greener solvents.
The Everyday Lesson
I’ve met students who groan over “memorizing numbers.” But regretting shortcuts happens fast if things go off the rails down the line. Accuracy, double-checking, and valuing the basics keeps labs and learning on track. Good data keeps both new learners and seasoned scientists out of trouble.
In short, 4-cyanophenol’s molecular weight—119.12 g/mol—stands for more than a number. It’s about finishing reactions, protecting budgets, and, sometimes, protecting people themselves. All sciences start small before they add up to progress.
Understanding the Substance
4-Cyanophenol doesn’t show up at your local hardware store. Its role belongs in chemical research labs and specialized industries. A white to beige crystalline powder, this compound packs a punch in synthesis, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials. Despite its utility, it brings hazards, not just inconvenience.
The Hazards Lurking in the Jar
Anyone who’s handled a bottle of 4-Cyanophenol knows the pointed warning labels aren’t just for show. It irritates skin, eyes, and airways. Too much exposure means headaches, nausea, and worse. I remember struggling with a leaky cap—gloves sticky, lab coat turning useless—and realizing quick fixes don’t cut it. Vapor can build up if the cap fails. Spoiled batches turn dangerous and expensive. Reports from Material Safety Data Sheets underscore these risks, confirming cases where casual storage prompted evacuations.
Pushing for Proper Storage
Locking up 4-Cyanophenol isn’t about overkill—it’s basic good practice. Fluctuating temperatures, careless stacking, and wrong containers all make trouble. A proper spot stays cool, dry, and dark. Humidity makes clumps or, worse, kicks off reactions. I saw a jar stored near a window once—heat streamed in, and soon the contents clumped beyond use. That mistake took hours to fix, plus a hefty waste bill.
Avoid glass containers with loose-fitting tops, which let moisture sneak in. I stick to tightly sealed HDPE bottles with clear hazard labeling. Metal shelving helps, provided there’s no risk of rust or chemical spill. One lab I know outfits its shelves with plastic liners to make cleanup easier and prevents bottles from sliding. Secure shelving beats stacking on benches; sliding bottles often end up rolling across the floor and cracking open.
Segregation Saves the Day
Chemicals fight with each other more than people expect. Stashing 4-Cyanophenol next to acids or oxidizers risks fires or explosions. Stories of minor spills turning major due to a stashed bottle of nitric acid nearby aren’t rare in labs that skip training. Keep it away from strong acids, bases, and oxidants. Use color-coded bins if you can. Tired eyes during late shifts mix up bottles more easily than you think.
Training Makes the Difference
Even the right bottle and the coldest storage room won’t help if newcomers don’t know what they’re doing. I spent my first summer in a lab watching an old-timer run through drills, urging us to double-check every storage step. He pointed to a battered old lab manual: notes scribbled in the margins, names of people who’d learned by mistakes. In labs with strong training, near-misses stay just that. No one makes lazy shortcuts if the team respects their own safety.
Emergency Readiness—No Substitute for It
Cracked vials happen—even to the most careful hands. Emergency kits nearby, proper air handling in storage rooms, and working spill-control supplies cut risks. My team runs through mock containment spills every quarter. One year, we caught a clogged exhaust vent during a drill—in real life, odors would have built up, making a small mistake far bigger.
Why All This Matters
Safe storage saves lives, preserves materials, and keeps work moving without delays. Every label and every properly screwed cap can mean the difference between routine research and weeks lost to cleanup and reports. These aren’t just rules—they’re habits worth forming, for your own sake and everyone around you.
