Difference Between Acetophenone and Benzophenone

The key difference between acetophenone and benzophenone is that acetophenone has a methyl group and a benzene ring attached to the carbonyl carbon, whereas benzophenone has a benzene ring attached to the carbonyl carbon.

Both acetophenone and benzophenone are organic compounds that fall under the category of ketones because both these compounds have a carbonyl carbon with alkyl or aryl groups attached to both sides. Moreover, these compounds have a benzene ring attached to the carbon atom of the carbonyl group.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Acetophenone 
3. What is Benzophenone
4. Side by Side Comparison – Acetophenone vs Benzophenone in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Acetophenone?

Acetophenone is an organic compound having the chemical formula C8H8O. It is a ketone, and it is the simplest ketone among aromatic ketones. The IUPAC name of this compound is 1-Phenylethane-1-one. Other common names include methyl phenyl ketone and phenylethanone.

Considering its properties, the molar mass is 120.15 g/mol. Also, the melting point can range from 19–20 °C while the boiling point is 202 °C. And, this compound occurs as a colourless, viscous liquid. Besides, we can get it as a byproduct from the oxidation of ethylbenzene to form ethylbenzene hydroperoxide.

Figure 01: Structure of Acetophenone

When considering the uses of acetophenone, in commercial scale, it is important as a precursor for the production of resins, as an ingredient in fragrances, etc. We can also convert it into styrene, and it is useful for the production of many pharmaceuticals as well.

What is Benzophenone?

Benzophenone is an organic compound having the chemical formula C13H10O. It is an aromatic ketone, and it has two benzene rings attached to the same carbon atom of the carbonyl group. We can abbreviate it as Ph2O – Ph refers to “phenol” (another name for benzene ring).

Figure 02: Structure of Benzophenone

Looking at its properties, the molar mass of benzophenone is 182.22 g/mol. And, its melting point is 48.5 °C while the boiling point is 305.4 °C. Moreover, it has a Geranium-like odour and occurs as a white solid at standard temperature and pressure. Besides, this compound is insoluble in water but soluble in some organic solvents. Concerning the production, we can produce this compound via the copper-catalyzed oxidation of diphenylmethane with air.

When considering the uses of benzophenone, it is useful as a building block for the synthesis of many organic compounds, as a photo-initiator in UV curing applications, as a UV blocker for plastic packages, etc.

What is the Difference Between Acetophenone and Benzophenone?

Acetophenone is an organic compound having the chemical formula C8H8O while Benzophenone is an organic compound having the chemical formula C13H10O. The key difference between acetophenone and benzophenone is that acetophenone has a methyl group and a benzene ring attached to the carbonyl carbon, whereas benzophenone has a benzene ring attached to the carbonyl carbon. Furthermore, the molar mass of acetophenone is 120.15 g/mol, while the molar mass of benzophenone is 182.22 g/mol.

Moreover, relating to the properties, a difference between acetophenone and benzophenone is that the acetophenone is poorly water-soluble, whereas benzophenone is insoluble in water. Additionally, we can obtain acetophenone as a byproduct from the oxidation of ethylbenzene to form ethylbenzene hydroperoxide, while we can produce benzophenone via the copper-catalyzed oxidation of diphenylmethane with air.

Summary – Acetophenone vs Benzophenone

Acetophenone is an organic compound having the chemical formula C8H8O while Benzophenone is an organic compound having the chemical formula C13H10O. In summary, the key difference between acetophenone and benzophenone is that the acetophenone has a methyl group and a benzene ring attached to the carbonyl carbon, whereas benzophenone has a benzene ring attached to the carbonyl carbon.

Reference:

1. “Acetophenone.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Acetophenone-from-xtal-3D-balls” By Ben Mills – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Benzophenone-3D-balls” By Ben Mills – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia

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