What is Vanillin?
Have you ever wondered what gives vanilla it's sweet smell? How about in your soda, perfume, or air freshener? Where does that sweet vanilla smell come from? All of these are thanks to an organic compound, Vanillin. This pleasant aromatic molecule occurs naturally in vanilla bean, and as mentioned above, has a wide variety of uses. The white crystalline solid, produces the odor and taste of vanilla. While vanillin is considered safe for human consumption, it can also be toxic in very large quantities.
Vanillin, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehydea, chemically is a ring compound that contains the carboxyl (-COOH) group and the hydroxyl (-OH) group. It's functional groups include aldehyde, ether, and phenol. It has a chemical formula, C8H8O3, and molecular weight of 152.15 g/mol. Stable under normal temperatures and pressures, with a boiling point of 285 degrees celsius, and melting point of 81 degrees celsius. Conditions to avoid when handling vanillin are mixing it with incompatible materials, such as, strong bases, light, air, moisture, strong oxidizing agents, bromine, perchloric acid, potassium t-butoxide, t-chlorobenzene and sodium hydroxide, formic acid and thallium nitrate. Vanillin is slightly soluble in water, 1gram dissolves in 100ml of water; also soluble in glycerol, ethyl alcohol, ether, and acetone. Vanillin is a polar molecule that has dispersion forces, however no hydrogen bonds are present.
Next time you are enjoying a cola, or making those delicious vanilla cupcakes... think about that little chemical molecule, Vanillin. That without it, your cola would not taste the same, those vanilla cupcakes no longer have that sweet, irresistible smell and taste, and one of the top selling spices in the world would no longer be vanilla.
To view vanillin structure in 3D, click link below: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/vw3d/vw3d.cgi?cmd=crtvw&reqid=1244576157258464967
Vanillin, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehydea, chemically is a ring compound that contains the carboxyl (-COOH) group and the hydroxyl (-OH) group. It's functional groups include aldehyde, ether, and phenol. It has a chemical formula, C8H8O3, and molecular weight of 152.15 g/mol. Stable under normal temperatures and pressures, with a boiling point of 285 degrees celsius, and melting point of 81 degrees celsius. Conditions to avoid when handling vanillin are mixing it with incompatible materials, such as, strong bases, light, air, moisture, strong oxidizing agents, bromine, perchloric acid, potassium t-butoxide, t-chlorobenzene and sodium hydroxide, formic acid and thallium nitrate. Vanillin is slightly soluble in water, 1gram dissolves in 100ml of water; also soluble in glycerol, ethyl alcohol, ether, and acetone. Vanillin is a polar molecule that has dispersion forces, however no hydrogen bonds are present.
Next time you are enjoying a cola, or making those delicious vanilla cupcakes... think about that little chemical molecule, Vanillin. That without it, your cola would not taste the same, those vanilla cupcakes no longer have that sweet, irresistible smell and taste, and one of the top selling spices in the world would no longer be vanilla.
To view vanillin structure in 3D, click link below: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/vw3d/vw3d.cgi?cmd=crtvw&reqid=1244576157258464967
