Thymol is a widely used ingredient in cosmetics, personal care, and skincare formulations. Depending on its function, it may serve as a moisturizer, preservative, emulsifier, or active ingredient to enhance the overall effectiveness and performance of a product.
Thymol (also known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol, IPMP), C10H14O, is a natural monoterpenoid phenol derivative of p-Cymene, isomeric with carvacrol. It occurs naturally in the oil of thyme, and it is extracted from Thymus vulgaris (common thyme), ajwain, and various other plants as a white crystalline substance of a pleasant aromatic odor and strong antiseptic properties. Thymol also provides the distinctive, strong flavor of the culinary herb thyme, also produced from T. vulgaris. Thymol is only slightly soluble in water at neutral pH, but it is extremely soluble in alcohols and other organic solvents. It is also soluble in strongly alkaline aqueous solutions due to deprotonation of the phenol. Its dissociation constant (pKa) is 10.59±0.10. Thymol absorbs maximum UV radiation at 274 nm.
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Names | |
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Preferred IUPAC name
5-Methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)phenol | |
Systematic IUPAC name
5-Methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)benzenol | |
Other names
2-Isopropyl-5-methylphenol, isopropyl-m-cresol, 1-methyl-3-hydroxy-4-isopropylbenzene, 3-methyl-6-isopropylphenol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)phenol, 5-methyl-2-isopropyl-1-phenol, 5-methyl-2-isopropylphenol, 6-isopropyl-3-methylphenol, 6-isopropyl-m-cresol, Apiguard, NSC 11215, NSC 47821, NSC 49142, thyme camphor, m-thymol, and p-cymen-3-ol
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Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol)
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ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
DrugBank | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.001.768 |
EC Number |
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KEGG | |
PubChem CID
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UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Properties | |
C10H14O | |
Molar mass | 150.221 g·mol−1 |
Density | 0.96 g/cm3 |
Melting point | 49 to 51 °C (120 to 124 °F; 322 to 324 K) |
Boiling point | 232 °C (450 °F; 505 K) |
0.9 g/L (20 °C) | |
Refractive index (nD)
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1.5208 |
Pharmacology | |
QP53AX22 (WHO) | |
Hazards | |
GHS labelling: | |
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Warning | |
H302, H314, H411 | |
P260, P264, P270, P273, P280, P301+P312, P301+P330+P331, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P310, P321, P330, P363, P391, P405, P501 | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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