thymol
Sign in to saveThymol (also known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol, IPMP), , is a monoterpenoid, phenol derivative of p-cymene, isomeric with carvacrol. It occurs naturally in oil of thyme and is extracted from Thymus vulgaris (common thyme), ajwain, and various other plants, as a white crystalline substance with a pleasant aromatic odor.
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Chemical synthesis
- History
- Extraction
- Uses
- List of plants that contain thymol
- Toxicology and environmental impacts
- Environmental breakdown and use as a pesticide
- Compendial status
- See also
- Notes and references
- External links
Thymol (also known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol, IPMP), , is a monoterpenoid, phenol derivative of p-cymene, isomeric with carvacrol. It occurs naturally in oil of thyme and is extracted from Thymus vulgaris (common thyme), ajwain, and various other plants, as a white crystalline substance with a pleasant aromatic odor.
Thymol provides the distinctive flavor of the culinary herb thyme, also produced from T. vulgaris. Thymol is only slightly soluble in water at neutral pH, but due to deprotonation of the phenol, it is highly soluble in alcohols, other organic solvents, and strongly alkaline aqueous solutions.