| Boiling Point | 305°C (lit.) |
| Melting Point | 47–51°C (lit.) |
| Color | White-Yellow |
| Linear Formula | (C6H5)2CO |
| Formula Weight | 182.22 |
| Physical Form | Crystalline solid (flakes) |
| Chemical Name or Material | Benzophenone |
| UN Number | 3077 |
| Molecular Weight | 182.22 g/mol |
| SMILES String | O=C(C1=CC=CC=C1)C2=CC=CC=C2 |
| CAS Number | 119-61-9 |
| EC Number | 204-337-6 |
| Key Functional Groups | Ketone, phenyl |
| NACRES | NA.22 |
| PubChem Substance ID | 24892133 |
| UNSPSC Code | 12352100 |
| MDL Number | MFCD00003076 |
| InChI | 1S/C13H10O/c14-13(11-7-3-1-4-8-11)12-9-5-2-6-10-12/h1-10H |
| InChI Key | RWCCWEUUXYIKHB-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| Beilstein/REAXYS Number | 1238185 |
| Quality Level | 200 |
| Reference Grade | ReagentPlus®, 99% |
| Applications | UV-curing photoinitiator for inks, coatings, and adhesive formulations |
Benzophenone is an aromatic ketone in which a carbonyl group bridges two phenyl rings, giving the molecule an efficient, long-lived excited triplet state when it absorbs UV light. That photochemical property — abstracting a hydrogen atom from a nearby molecule to generate reactive radicals — is the mechanism behind its widespread use as a UV-curing photoinitiator.
In industrial formulation, benzophenone’s radical-generating photochemistry drives UV-curing in inks, coatings, varnishes, and adhesives, where exposure to UV light rapidly hardens the formulation. In organic synthesis, it’s a common Grignard-reaction substrate and a textbook reference compound in photochemistry research studying triplet-state hydrogen-abstraction reactions. It also serves as a fragrance fixative in perfumery, helping other scent notes last longer in a finished formulation.
Sigma Aldrich’s GHS classification for this compound includes a carcinogenicity warning — please ensure this reaches your EHS/compliance team.
