Benzilic acid

Benzilic acid (CAS 76-93-7), also known as diphenylglycolic acid, is an aromatic hydroxy acid used as a chemical intermediate in pharmaceutical synthesis and polymer chemistry.

Where is Benzilic acid used?

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing: precursor to anticholinergic active ingredients, including compounds used in antispasmodic drug formulations and other therapeutic agents
• Polymer and specialty chemicals: polymerization initiator and co-monomer to introduce defined structural features into polyester and polycarbonate systems
• Synthesis of benzilic acid esters, which function as plasticizers and chemical intermediates
• Research-scale and fine chemical operations: asymmetric synthesis and chiral resolution processes where the diphenyl-substituted scaffold is a required starting point
• Its reactive hydroxyl and carboxyl groups make it a practical building block for producing esters, salts, and more complex molecular structures at industrial scale.

Commercial specifications

• Standard commercial grades include technical and pharmaceutical-grade material with purity specifications typically ranging from 98% to 99%+.
• Packaging options generally range from kilogram-scale laboratory quantities to multi-hundred kilogram bulk orders.