Styrene oxide

• (1,2- epoxyethyl ) benzene
• Phenylethylene
• Phenyloxirane
• ( RS)- styrene oxide
• Rac- styrene oxide
• ( RS)- phenyloxirane
• Rac- phenyloxirane
• Styrene oxide

Colorless liquid with aromatic odor

Liquid

1.05 g · cm -3 ( 20 ° C)

-37 ° C

194 ° C.

40 Pa ( 20 ° C)

Poorly in water ( 3 g · l-1 at 20 ° C)

1.5342 (20 ° C)

Risk

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Styrene oxide (also [1,2- epoxyethyl ] benzene, phenylethylene, phenyloxirane, styrene oxide ) is a colorless to yellow liquid. Styrene oxide reacts violently with amines and oxidizing agents.

In water, styrene oxide dissolves only slightly. Traces of acid in water result in spontaneous hydrolysis to Phenylethylenglykol; is formed here via a benzylic cation intermediate racemic water adduct. In vivo, the epoxide hydrolase causes this hydrolysis. In the absence of sufficient amounts of water to acid-catalyzed isomerization Phenylacetaldhyd.

In the body, styrene is metabolized to mandelic acid, phenylglyoxylic, benzoic acid and hippuric acid.

Styrene turned in animal experiments to be clearly carcinogenic out and is therefore considered poisonous. The flash point of the styrene oxide is 76 ° C, at a level of from 1.1 to 22 percent, it is ignitable air mixtures.

Isomerism

Styrene has at the benzylic carbon atom of a stereogenic center, i.e., it is chiral, so there is (R)- styrene oxide, (S)- styrene oxide, and also racemic styrene oxide.