3-Methyl salicylate

Ethyl salicylate. Use 28 g. of salicylic acid, 84 g. (106 ml.) of absolute ethyl alcohol and 8 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid. Reflux the mixture for at least 5 hours. The yield of ethyl salicylate (a colourless liquid), b.p. 231-234°, is 26 g. It is more convenient in practice to distil the liquid under reduced pressure the boiling points under various pressures are given in Table II, 19. 

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I. Methyl salicylate test. Heat i ml. of methanol with 0 5 g. of sodium sdicylate (or free salicylic acid) and a few drops of cone. H2SO4 gently for i minute. Cool, pour into a few ml. of cold water in a boiling-tube, and shake. Note the odour of methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen). 

Ethyl salicylate (prepared by the same method) has an odour similar to that of methyl salicylate but less intense it is therefore usually impracticable to attempt to distinguish methanol and ethanol by this test alone. 

As a general guide, however, it may be noted that the following have fairly easily recognisable odours methyl and ethyl formate methyl and ethyl acetate (apples) methyl and ethyl benzoate methyl salicylate (oil of winter-green) and ethyl salicylate methyl and ethyl cinnamate. (It is however usually impracticable to distinguish by odour alone between the methyl and ethyl esters of a particular acid.) Methyl and ethyl o. alate, and methyl and ethyl phthalate are almost odourless. Succinic and tartaric esters have faint odours. 

The following liquids may be used (boiling points are given in parentheses) — chlorobenzene (132-3°) bromobenzene (155°) p cymene (176°) o-dichloro-benzene (180°) aniline (184°) methyl benzoate (200°) teti-alin (207°) ethyl benzoate (212°) 1 2 4-trichlorobenzene (213°) iaopropyl benzoate (218°) methyl salicylate (223°) n-propyl benzoate (231°) diethyleneglycol (244°) n-butyl benzoate (250°) diphenyl (255°) diphenyl ether (259°) dimethyl phth ate (282°) diethyl phthalate (296°) diphenylamine (302°) benzophenone (305)° benzyl benzoate (316°). 

One of the hydroxybenzoic acids is known by the common name salicylic acid Its methyl ester methyl salicylate occurs in oil of wintergreen Methyl salicylate boils over 50°C lower than either of the other two methyl hydroxybenzoates What is the structure of methyl salicylate Why is its boiling point so much lower than that of either of its regioisomers ... 

Methyl salicylate is the methyl ester of o hydroxybenzoic acid Intramolecular (rather than mtermolecular) hydrogen bonding is responsible for its relatively low boiling point... 

Methyl salicylate is produced synthetically for commercial purposes by the esterification of salicylic acid with methanol or by extraction by steam distillation of wintergreen leaves or sweet birch bark. The source, natural or synthetic, is declared on the label. The methyl salicylate NF must assay not less than 98.0% and not more than 100.5% and be processed by Good Manufacturing Practice described in USP (20). 

As a pharmaceutical, methyl salicylate is used in liniments and ointments for the relief of pain and for rheumatic conditions. As a flavor and fragrance agent, it is used in confectioneries, dentifrices, cosmetics, and perfumes. Other commercial applications for methyl salicylate are as a dye carrier, as a uv-light stabilizer in acrylic resins, and as a chemical intermediate. The May 1996 price was 5.50/kg (18). 

This cieam also contains zinc naphthenate, terpineol, chloiciesol, and methyl salicylate [119-36-8J.S The latter has a deeply penetrative effect. It combines... 

Coum rinic Acid Compounds. These synthetic phyUoquinone derivatives and congeners have been employed as anticoagulants since the isolation of 3,3 -methylenebis(4-hydroxy-2H-l-benzopyran-2-one) [66-76-2] (bis-4-hydroxycoumarin or dicoumarol) (1) from spoiled sweet clover in 1939. The ingestion of the latter was responsible for widespread and extensive death of bovine animals at that time. The parent compound for the synthesis of many congeners is 4-hydrocoumarin, which is synthesized from methyl salicylate by acetylation and internal cyclization. The basic stmctures of these compounds are shown in Figure 2, and their properties Hsted in Table 6 (see Coumarin). 

Hydroxycoumarin [1076-38-6] can be synthesized by cyclization of acetyl methyl salicylate. It is a coumatin metaboHte occurring in spoiled hay. Derivatives of 4-hydroxycoumarin such as dicoumarol [66-76-2] warfarin [81-81-2] cyclocoumarol [518-20-7] ethylbis—coumaracetate [548-00-5] and bis-4-hydroxycoumarin [25892-93-7] are synthetic blood anticoagulants (see Blood, coagulants and anticoagulants). 

Active agents vary according to use. For controlling bad breath, 2iac salts, sodium lauryl sulfate, and flavors are used. To destroy oral microorganisms, chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride [123-03-5] and ben2alkonium chloride [68391-01-5] are valuable. Essential oils, such as thymol [89-83-8] eucalyptol [470-82-6] menthol, and methyl salicylate [119-36-8] reduce plaque-related gingivitis (see Oils, essential). Sodium fluoride aids ia caries coatrol. 

Photolysis of 3-methyl-1,2-benzisoxazole in n-hexane/acetonitrile produced a salicyl-amide. In contrast, photolysis in acetonitrile/methanol (95 5) gave an iminoester which subsequently hydrolyzed to methyl salicylate (Scheme 11) (74HCA376). 

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