MOLECULE

Diethyl Phthalate

Diethyl phthalate, also known as 1,2-diethyl phthalate or DEP, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as benzoic acid esters. These are ester derivatives of benzoic acid. Diethyl phthalate is hydrolyzed to its monoester derivative by diethyl phthalic acid hydrolase. Diethyl phthalate is a potentially toxic compound. It is a clear liquid at room temperature, and it is only slightly denser than liquid water. When burned, DEP produces toxic gases. Many organic molecules are soluble in it and it is therefore often used to bind cosmetics and fragrances. It is industrially used as a plasticizer, detergent bases and aerosol sprays. Diethyl phthalate is produced by the reaction of phthalic anhydride with ethanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of concentrated sulfuric acid. Diethyl phthalate, and other phthalates, are often reported as components of natural products extracts. However, due to their high solubility in organic solvents (e.g. ethanol, ethers, dichloromethane, and benzene) they are most likely a contaminant analyte, introduced into the sample through the use of plastics during sample preparation or from contaminated solvents, especially in gas chromatography analyses. Diethyl phtalate has also been detected in the volatile fraction of Cannabis sativa samples obtained from police seizures (PMID: 26657499).