Anisole
Anisole is the simplest aromatic methyl ether — and that simplicity is the whole point. The methoxy group activates the ring hard and steers substitution to the para position, which is why so many fragrance, pharmaceutical and agrochemical routes start here rather than at phenol.
Chelora Chemicals supplies anisole to fragrance houses, pharmaceutical and agrochemical producers and specialty formulators worldwide, in UN-approved packing, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 100-66-3
- IUPAC name
- Methoxybenzene
- Molecular formula
- C₇H₈O
- Molecular weight
- 108.14 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 202-876-1
- UN Number
- 2222 · Class 3 · PG III*
- SMILES
- COc1ccccc1
- HS Code
- 2909 30*
* Confirm the exact UN entry, packing group and HS heading with your freight forwarder and customs broker — aromatic ethers are classified against the destination's own schedule and the shipping description can differ by mode and country.
What Anisole is used for
Anisole is a clear, colourless, mobile liquid with a sweet anise-like odour — a benzene ring carrying a single methoxy group. That one substituent does two jobs at once: it donates electrons strongly into the ring, making it far more reactive than benzene toward electrophiles, and it directs that reactivity cleanly to the ortho and para positions, with para dominating on steric grounds.
Commercially the material splits into two quite different lives. As an intermediate it is the entry point to anisaldehyde, anisic acid, para-anisidine, 4-methoxyacetophenone and the long list of methoxyphenyl fragments that appear in fragrance molecules, agrochemical actives and pharmaceutical APIs. As a solvent it has been picked up steadily by process chemists as a higher-boiling, water-immiscible, peroxide-resistant replacement for tetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane and chlorinated solvents.
Where it sits among the methoxy aromatics
- Anisole (this product) the parent aromatic methyl ether; the feedstock for the whole methoxyphenyl family.
- Phenol the upstream raw material, converted by O-methylation. Unreacted phenol is the key residue to watch.
- Guaiacol 2-methoxyphenol — a methoxy and a free hydroxyl, used in vanillin and pharmaceutical routes. See that page.
- Dimethyl sulfate the classical methylating agent used to make anisole from phenol. See that page.
- Anisaldehyde / para-anisidine the principal downstream derivatives, reached by formylation and by nitration–reduction respectively.
On a specialty intermediate, confirm the CAS number and the impurity specification on your purchase order — see the full intermediate range.
Appearance and handling character
The liquid is practically insoluble in water and miscible with ethanol, ether, acetone and most organic solvents. It is appreciably lighter than water at about 0.995 g/cm³, so it sits as a top layer in aqueous work-ups — convenient, and the reason it is favoured for extraction duty. Unlike THF and dioxane it does not form peroxides to any troublesome degree, which removes a whole category of storage risk. The controlling hazard here is simple: it is a flammable liquid, and vapour control, earthing and ignition-source exclusion are the three practical requirements on this product.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear colourless mobile liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 99.5% min |
| Colour (APHA / Hazen) | 20 max |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.10% max |
| Residual phenol | 0.05% max |
| Acidity (as acetic acid) | 0.01% max |
| Density at 20 °C | 0.993 – 0.996 g/cm³ |
| Refractive index nD20 | 1.516 – 1.518 |
| Non-volatile matter | Reported per batch |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial-grade material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document. Assay, colour, water and residual phenol are the figures that carry into your downstream chemistry — tell us your target and we will quote against it.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Mobile liquid at ambient |
| Boiling point | 153 – 154 °C |
| Melting / freezing point | ≈ −37 °C |
| Flash point | ≈ 52 °C (closed cup) |
| Vapour density (air = 1) | ≈ 3.7 — vapour sinks and travels |
| Water solubility | Practically insoluble (≈ 1 g/L) |
| Solvent miscibility | Miscible with alcohols, ethers, ketones, aromatics |
| Stability | Stable; low peroxide-forming tendency |
| Incompatibilities | Strong oxidisers, strong acids, strong bases |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 100-66-3 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this intermediate to work
Unusually for a molecule this simple, anisole has a genuinely broad customer base — and the grade each one needs is different.
Fragrance & flavour intermediates
The route into anisaldehyde, anisic acid, anethole and the methoxy-aromatic notes that underpin anise, hawthorn and powdery accords.
- Odour-critical — low residual phenol
- Tight APHA colour specification
- Organoleptic check on request
Pharmaceutical intermediates
A building block wherever a 4-methoxyphenyl fragment is needed — Friedel–Crafts acylation, formylation, bromination and nitration all run cleanly on this ring.
- Residual solvent & elemental data available
- Full impurity profile on request
- RSM documentation supported
Agrochemical actives
Methoxyphenyl fragments appear across herbicide, fungicide and insecticide chemistry; anisole is the usual way in.
- Technical to high-assay grades
- Bulk IBC and ISO tank supply
- Scheduled call-off for campaigns
Greener process solvent
Specified in place of THF, 1,4-dioxane, toluene and chlorinated solvents: higher boiling, water-immiscible, and resistant to peroxide formation.
- Reflux to 153 °C without pressure
- Clean phase separation on work-up
- Low-water grade for moisture-sensitive steps
Electronics & battery chemistry
Used as an overcharge-protection additive and co-solvent in lithium-ion electrolyte work, and in specialty coating and photoresist formulations.
- Ultra-low water and metals grades
- Dedicated clean packing
- Batch-to-batch consistency critical
Contract & scheduled supply
Solvent-scale users consume this continuously. We hold inventory and release it against your production calendar.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply Anisole
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. On a product where a fragrance house and a solvent user want genuinely different material from the same CAS number, owning no plant means we are never defending a batch — we route your order to the producer whose profile actually matches the job.
We place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your odour and colour requirement, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. Anisole production sits downstream of phenol and of methylating-agent capacity, both of which are periodically tight, so a qualified alternate is worth holding.
- Residual phenol reported on every batch. It is the characteristic residue of the methylation route and the figure that decides whether material is fragrance-usable.
- Colour and water confirmed before we quote. APHA colour and KF water are the two numbers that separate a solvent lot from a fine-chemical lot.
- We ask what it feeds before we quote. An odour-critical fragrance grade and a bulk extraction solvent need quite different documentation and quite different pricing.
- Pack format matched to your transfer method. Drum, IBC or ISO tank changes the landed cost more than the unit price does on a product at this value.
- Flammable-liquid classification handled up front. Class 3 booking, approved packing and earthing guidance arranged before the consignment moves.
- Export machinery handled in-house. Classification, approved packing, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
Packed the way your plant receives it
On a flammable liquid the pack is a safety control as much as a container. Tell us how the material will be transferred and we will quote the format that suits the operation.
MS or HDPE drums
UN-approved drums with tamper-evident closures — the standard commercial format, pallet-stacked and shrink-wrapped for sea freight.
IBC totes
Composite or stainless IBCs for users with bulk transfer capability — fewer handling operations and far less drum disposal.
Bulk liquid shipment
For contracted tonnage into tank farms, with heating and nitrogen-pad arrangements specified at booking.
Trial / sample quantities
Small DG-compliant jerrycans and bottles dispatched so your R&D team can qualify the grade before committing to larger volumes.
Nitrogen-padded packing
Available where colour drift or moisture pick-up on part-used containers would compromise an odour- or water-critical application.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to, with DG documentation filed before the booking is made.
Flammable vapour is the controlling hazard
Anisole is a flammable liquid with a flash point around 52 °C, and it is commonly classified with skin, eye and respiratory irritation statements. Its vapour is roughly three and a half times heavier than air, so it collects in pits and travels along floors to a distant ignition source. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document.
Classified hazards
H226Flammable liquid and vapour.H315Causes skin irritation.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H335May cause respiratory irritation.H412Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect classifications commonly published for CAS 100-66-3. Supplier self-classifications vary — some SDSs carry additional irritation or aspiration statements, and the environmental entry differs between sources. Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Fire, spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the pallet arrives. Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the SDS are the authoritative instructions and should be posted at the point of use.
- Use foam, dry chemical or CO₂ on a fire. A water jet spreads burning liquid; water spray is for cooling exposed containers, not for extinguishing the pool.
- Eliminate ignition sources before approaching a spill. The vapour is heavier than air and will find a pilot light, a hot surface or a switch several metres away.
- Bond and earth everything during transfer. Pouring and pumping a low-conductivity organic liquid generates static — this is the single most common ignition mechanism on products like this.
- Absorb, do not hose to drain. Contain with sand, vermiculite or proprietary absorbent and dispose of it as regulated chemical waste.
- Ventilate pits and low points. Confined-space entry after a spill needs gas testing, not assumption.
Storage
- Flammable-liquid store, cool and well ventilated. Bunded, with the ventilation taken from low level because the vapour sinks.
- Keep containers tightly closed and earthed. Part-used drums should be resealed immediately and bonded whenever they are decanted.
- Segregate from oxidising agents and strong acids. Keep them apart by distance, not just by label.
- Protect from direct sun and heat sources. A drum in full sun can approach the flash point; that is a real scenario in hot-climate yards.
- Shelf life typically 24 months. Longer and more forgiving than most intermediates on this range — but re-check colour and water before use on an odour- or moisture-critical application.
Handling & PPE
- Design vapour exposure out. Closed transfer, local exhaust ventilation and explosion-protected equipment first; PPE last, never as the sole control.
- Chemical-resistant gloves, coveralls and eye protection. Nitrile for incidental contact; check breakthrough data for immersion or prolonged handling.
- Antistatic footwear and clothing in transfer areas. Static control is a fire control on this product, not a comfort measure.
- Respiratory protection where ventilation is limited. Organic-vapour cartridges per your exposure assessment; air-supplied for tank entry.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. Contain and dispose of as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
Anisole generally moves as regulated cargo, most commonly under UN 2222, Class 3, Packing Group III. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made — ask us for the current DG paperwork when you plan the shipment.
What travels with every consignment
A chemical shipment is only as good as the file that travels with it. Verifying what the source plant sends is precisely the work you are buying from a supplier.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific GC assay, APHA colour, KF water, residual phenol, acidity, density and refractive index — checked against your specification before release.
GHS Safety Data Sheet
Full 16-section SDS in GHS format covering flammability, exposure controls, handling, storage, spill response, toxicology and disposal, in the language your destination requires.
Dangerous Goods Declaration
UN number, hazard class, packing group and IMDG or RID/ADR declaration prepared and filed before the container is booked, with correctly marked packaging.
GC method & chromatogram
Analytical method and batch chromatogram on request, so your QC can reproduce the impurity profile rather than take it on trust.
Certificate of Origin
Chamber-attested where required, plus preferential-origin forms where a trade agreement gives your import duty relief.
Retained & pre-shipment samples
Pre-shipment samples carry the same COA as the commercial lot, so what your laboratory qualifies — including on odour — is exactly what arrives.
One methoxy group, and the ring does the rest
The oxygen lone pair delocalises into the ring, raising electron density sharply at the ortho and para positions. That is the whole commercial value of this molecule — and it is why anisole reacts under far milder conditions than benzene. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start from phenol
Phenol is deprotonated with caustic to give the sodium phenoxide, the nucleophile for the methylation step.
Methylate the oxygen
A Williamson-type O-methylation with dimethyl sulfate or methyl chloride installs the methoxy group. Vapour-phase methanol routes over solid catalysts are also run.
Wash, neutralise and distil
Caustic washing strips unreacted phenol; fractional distillation lifts assay, removes colour bodies and tightens the boiling range.
Functionalise downstream
Friedel–Crafts acylation, formylation, bromination or nitration then install the second substituent, overwhelmingly at the para position.
Why phenol, water and colour carry through
On this intermediate, two batches at the same nominal GC assay can behave very differently in your plant:
- Residual phenol is the route marker. It is unreacted starting material, it is acidic enough to quench organometallic and strongly basic steps, and in fragrance work its odour is detectable far below the point where GC would call it significant.
- Water kills moisture-sensitive chemistry. Grignard, organolithium and acid-chloride steps are unforgiving, which is why the KF figure is a specification and not a formality.
- Colour signals oxidised or thermally stressed material. A high APHA reading usually means the distillation was pushed or the drum has been heat-stressed, and the colour bodies carry into your product.
- Chlorinated residues matter on the methyl-chloride route. If your filing limits chloro-aromatics, say so at enquiry — it changes which plant we source from.
That is why we quote against your written colour, water and phenol limits rather than a generic "technical grade", and why the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Material | Position in the route |
|---|---|
| Anisole CAS 100-66-3 — this product | The parent methyl ether |
| Phenol CAS 108-95-2 | Upstream feedstock |
| Dimethyl sulfate CAS 77-78-1 | Classical methylating agent |
| 4-Methoxybenzaldehyde Anisaldehyde · CAS 123-11-5 | Principal fragrance derivative |
| Guaiacol CAS 90-05-1 | Related methoxyphenol · separate routes |
We supply across this intermediate family — see the full intermediate range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this product
Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Phenol and methylating agent
The cost stack is dominated by phenol, which tracks benzene and propylene through the cumene route, plus the methylating agent and caustic.
- Benzene tracks the aromatics cycle
- Methanol follows natural gas
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Fragrance & flavour demand
The anisaldehyde and anethole chains are the visible demand driver, and fragrance-grade material prices well above solvent-grade.
- Odour-grade carries a real premium
- Seasonal flavour demand is pronounced
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Green-solvent substitution
Pressure to move off THF, dioxane and chlorinated solvents has added a large, steady and relatively price-insensitive solvent demand on top of the intermediate market.
- Solvent-scale volumes are growing
- Recovery and reuse changes your net cost
- Ask about recovered-grade options
Grade and impurity specification
A bulk extraction solvent and an odour-critical fragrance grade are different products from the same plant at different prices.
- Tell us the real limits, not a wish list
- We will say when a wider spec will do
- Over-specification is the commonest cost leak
Freight, pack format and DG
Class 3 cargo carries a hazardous surcharge, and on a product at this value the choice between drums, IBCs and an ISO tank can move landed cost by more than the unit price does.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- DG space books out ahead of peak season
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source concentration
Capacity is concentrated in a limited number of regions, so a single plant turnaround or an environmental action moves the whole market.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Fragrance / flavour intermediate | Low residual phenol, APHA ≤10, odour-tested |
| Pharmaceutical intermediate / RSM | High assay, full impurity profile, residual solvent & elemental data |
| Agrochemical intermediate | Standard to high-assay commercial grade |
| Process / extraction solvent | Technical grade; water-controlled if the step is moisture-sensitive |
| Electrolyte or electronics use | Ultra-low water and metals, dedicated packing |
| Laboratory / reference use | Small DG-compliant pack, full COA |
Not sure which row you are in? Describe what you make from it and our technical desk will recommend the grade — including telling you when a cheaper specification would do the job just as well.
Support that goes beyond shipping the drum
What our technical desk will do
- Settle phenol, water and colour limits before anything else. On this product those three numbers decide which plant can supply you, and we settle them in the first reply.
- Ask whether it is an intermediate or a solvent. The same CAS number serves both, and buying fragrance-grade material to use as an extraction solvent is pure wasted margin.
- Recommend pack format and transfer arrangements. Drum, IBC or ISO tank, with earthing and pump guidance for a flammable liquid.
- Be straight about the flammability classification. Stated at enquiry stage so your EHS team can confirm store capacity and area classification before the first delivery.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Flavour and fragrance end use has its own rules. If the material will touch a food or cosmetic application, the purity and documentation requirements change; confirm your position before you order.
- Flammable-liquid storage is licensed in most jurisdictions. Check your site's permitted inventory before ordering bulk quantities.
- Chemical inventory listings differ between regions. We will supply the identity data you need for that filing.
- Area classification and effluent rules matter. Confirm your transfer areas are appropriately classified and check your discharge consent before introducing the material to site.
None of the above is legal advice — your own regulatory affairs team owns the final compliance position for your import and your workplace. What we commit to is accurate product identity data, an honest statement of the hazard classification and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered pallet
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 100-66-3, your assay, colour, water and phenol limits, quantity, pack preference and destination port.
Receive a firm quote
Pricing, lead time, packing and Incoterm confirmed in writing within 24 hours — our sourcing desk is staffed around the clock.
Qualify and approve
Sample dispatched if you are qualifying a new source. Batch COA shared for your approval before the material is released.
Ship and track
Classification filed, DG freight booked, export documents issued, and the consignment tracked through transit and clearance.
What buyers ask us about Anisole
What is anisole used for?
Is anisole a safer solvent than THF or dioxane?
What purity do you normally supply?
Why does residual phenol matter so much on this product?
Is anisole hazardous?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How should we store it?
Is this a dangerous good? What paperwork comes with it?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Request pricing on Anisole
Send your required assay, colour, water and phenol limits, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, lead time and packing options.