*** Welcome to piglix ***

Styrene oxide

Styrene oxide
Styrene oxide.svg
Names
IUPAC name
2-Phenyloxirane
Other names
Phenyloxirane; Epoxystyrene; Styryl oxide; Phenylethylene oxide
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.002.252
KEGG
PubChem CID
Properties
C8H8O
Molar mass 120.15 g·mol−1
Appearance Colorless to light yellow liquid
Density 1.052 g/mL
Melting point −37 °C (−35 °F; 236 K)
Boiling point 194 °C (381 °F; 467 K)
Hazards
Safety data sheet Oxford University MSDS
Harmful (XN); Corrosive (C)
R-phrases (outdated) R20 R22 R34 R36 R37 R38
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N  (what is YesYN ?)
Infobox references

Styrene oxide is an epoxide derived from styrene. It can be prepared by epoxidation of styrene with peroxybenzoic acid, in the Prilezhaev reaction:

PrilezhaevReaction.svg

Styrene oxide is slightly soluble in water. Trace amount of acid in water causes hydrolysis to racemic phenylethyleneglycol via aryl cation. If the amount of water is not sufficient, acid-catalyzed isomerization for phenylacetaldehyde will occur.

Styrene oxide in the body is metabolized to mandelic acid, phenyl glyoxylic acid, benzoic acid and hippuric acid.

Since styrene oxide has a chiral center at the benzylic carbon atom, there are (R)-styrene oxide and (S)-styrene oxide. If optically pure reagent is used, only one optically pure compound will be obtained.

Styrene oxide is a main metabolite of styrene in humans or animals, resulting from oxidation by . It is considered possibly carcinogenic from gavaging significant amounts into mice and rats. Styrene oxide is subsequently hydrolyzed in vivo to styrene glycol by epoxide hydrolase.

Styrene oxide has a chiral center and thus two enantiomers. It has been reported that the two enantiomers had different toxicokinetics and toxicity. It was reported that the (R)-styrene oxide was preferentially formed in mice, especially in the lung, whereas the (S)-styrene oxide was preferentially generated in rats. In human volunteers, the cumulative excretion of the (S)-enantiomer of styrene glycol and mendelic acid were higher than the R form after exposure to styrene. In human liver microsomes, cytochrome P450-mediated styrene oxidation showed the production of more S enantiomer relative to the R enantiomer. It was also found that (S)-styrene oxide was preferentially hydrolyzed than the R enantiomer in human liver microsomes. Animal studies have shown that the (R)-enantiomer of styrene oxide was more toxic than the (S)-enantiomer in mice.


...
Wikipedia

...