Time-dependent conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde and benzoic acid in aqueous solutions

The oxidative reaction: benzyl alcohol–benzaldehyde–benzoic acid was investigated in time in aqueous solutions of benzyl alcohol widely used as a preservative in medicine and cosmetology. The solutions of benzyl alcohol were stored at concentrations from 0.005 to 2.09 mg/ml for a long time under different conditions. The presence of benzaldehyde and benzoic acid in these solutions was controlled by liquid chromatography on silica sorbent in water. The content of benzoic acid and potentially toxic benzaldehyde in solutions depending on the initial concentration of benzyl alcohol, on time, and on storage conditions was evaluated quantitatively.