Acetanilide

Other names: N-phenylacetamide, acetanil

Acetanilide, which is also known as N-phenylacetamide or acetanil, is an organic compound belonging to the class of amides, which is characterized by its white crystalline structure without odor or taste, and can be dissolved in hot water, alcohol and ether. The chemical formula for acetanilide is C8H9NO and was first synthesized in 1852 by the German scientist and chemist, Charles Gerhardt, the original method of synthesis involving a mixture of aniline with acetate.

Acetanilide has historically been used primarily in the pharmaceutical industry, specifically as a painkiller and fever reducer. However, it is mostly no longer used in modern medicine, as it could cause methaemoglobinaemia, a serious medical condition in which the amount of haemoglobin, which can carry oxygen, in the body drops drastically. Today, however, it is used as an intermediate in the manufacture of drugs, dyes and, in particular, as a precursor in the synthesis of paracetamol. It is also used in the textile industry where it serves as peroxidation inhibitors.