phenoxyethanol phenoxyethanol phenoxyethanol is the organic compound with the formula c6h5oc2h4oh. it is a colorless oily liquid. it can be classified as a glycol ether and a phenol ether. it is a common preservative in vaccine formulations. phenoxyethanol names preferred iupac name 2-phenoxyethan-1-ol other names phenoxyethanolethylene glycol monophenyl etherphenoxytolarosoldowanol ep / eph protectol pe emery 6705rose ether1-hydroxy-2-phenoxyethaneβ-hydroxyethyl phenyl etherphenyl cellosolve identifiers cas number 122-99-6 y 3d model (jsmol) interactive image chebi chebi:64275 n chembl chembl1229846 n chemspider 13848467 y echa infocard 100.004.173 pubchem cid 31236 unii hie492zz3t y comptox dashboard (epa) dtxsid9021976 inchi inchi=1s/c8h10o2/c9-6-7-10-8-4-2-1-3-5-8/h1-5,9h,6-7h2 ykey: qcdwfxqbsfuvsp-uhfffaoysa-n yinchi=1/c8h10o2/c9-6-7-10-8-4-2-1-3-5-8/h1-5,9h,6-7h2key: qcdwfxqbsfuvsp-uhfffaoyau smiles c1ccc(cc1)occo properties chemical formula c8h10o2 molar mass 138.166 g·mol−1 appearance colorless oily liquid odor faint rose-like density 1.102 g/cm3 melting point −2 °c (28 °f; 271 k) boiling point 247 °c (477 °f; 520 k) solubility in water 26 g/kg solubility chloroform, alkali, diethyl ether: soluble solubility in peanut oil slightly solubility in olive oil slightly solubility in acetone miscible solubility in ethanol miscible solubility in glycerol miscible vapor pressure 0.001 kpa (0.00015 psi) thermal conductivity 0.169 w/(m⋅k) refractive index (nd) 1.534 (20 °c) hazards occupational safety and health (ohs/osh): main hazards harmful if swallowedcauses serious eye irritation ghs labelling: pictograms signal word warning nfpa 704 (fire diamond) 3 1 0 flash point 126 °c (259 °f; 399 k) autoignitiontemperature 430 °c (806 °f; 703 k) lethal dose or concentration (ld, lc): ld50 (median dose) 1850 mg/kg (rat, oral) related compounds related compounds phenetole except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °c , 100 kpa). n verify (what is yn ?) infobox references use phenoxyethanol has germicidal and germistatic properties. it is often used together with quaternary ammonium compounds. phenoxyethanol is used as a perfume fixative; an insect repellent; an antiseptic; a solvent for cellulose acetate, dyes, inks, and resins; a preservative for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and lubricants; an anesthetic in fish aquaculture; and in organic synthesis. phenoxyethanol is an alternative to formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. in japan and the european union, its concentration in cosmetics is restricted to 1%. production phenoxyethanol is produced by the hydroxyethylation of phenol (williamson synthesis), for example, in the presence of alkali-metal hydroxides or alkali-metal borohydrides. efficacy phenoxyethanol is effective against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, and the yeast candida albicans. effective concentration and contact time to kill germs with aromatic alcohols aromatic alcohol concentration (%) contact time (minutes) escherichia coli pseudomonas aeruginosa proteus mirabilis staphylococcus aureus benzyl alcohol 1 >30 >30 >30 >30 phenethyl alcohol 1.25 2.5 2.5 2.5 >30 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 5 phenoxyethanol 1.25 15 2.5 2.5 >30 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 >30 safety phenoxyethanol is a vaccine preservative and potential allergen, which may result in a nodular reaction at the site of injection. possible symptoms include rashes, eczema, and possible death. it reversibly inhibits nmdar-mediated ion currents.