MOLECULE

Benzophenone

Benzophenone, also known as alpha-oxoditane or diphenyl ketone, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as benzophenones. These are organic compounds containing a ketone attached to two phenyl groups. The chemical formula of benzophenone is (C6H5)2CO, generally abbreviated to Ph2CO. It is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. Benzophenone is found in fruits, such as grapes. It is used as an additive in flavorings or perfumes for "sweet-woody-geranium”-like notes. Benzophenone is a common photosensitizer in photochemistry. It crosses from the S1 state into the triplet state with nearly 100% efficiency. The resulting diradical will subtract a hydrogen atom from a suitable hydrogen donor to form a ketyl radical. Benzophenone is a widely used building block in organic chemistry, being the parent diarylketone. Benzophenone can be used as a photo initiator in UV-curing applications such as inks, imaging, and clear coatings in the printing industry. Benzophenone can also serve as a preservative from ultraviolet (UV) light, preventing damage to scents and colors in products such as perfumes and soaps. Although it is considered as "essentially nontoxic”, benzophenone has been found to be an endocrine disruptor capable of binding to the pregnane X receptor (PMID: 14613717). Benzophenone has also been found in the volatile fraction of Cannabis sativa samples obtained from police seizures (PMID: 26657499) and is a constituent of marijuana smoke (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-947-9_2).