Substance profile
Phenolphthalein
Phenolphthalein is white or yellowish-white minute, triclinic crystals, often twinned and is odorless.
01 · Identification
What Phenolphthalein is
Phenolphthalein is white or yellowish-white minute, triclinic crystals, often twinned and is odorless. Its molecular formula is C20H14O4 and its molecular weight is 318.3 g/mol. It melts at 263 °C.
Under the GHS it carries the signal word Danger. It is classed as carcinogens.
02 · GHS classification
Hazards and label elements
Harmonised classification under CLP Annex VI. This is the legally binding classification in the EU; other jurisdictions may differ.
| Code | Hazard statement |
|---|---|
| H350 | May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H341 | Suspected of causing genetic defects <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard>. |
| H361f | Suspected of damaging fertility. |
Precautionary statements: P201, P280, P308, P313
This page lists only the codes assigned to Phenolphthalein. The full reference lives on the hazard statements hub, the precautionary statements hub and the GHS pictograms hub.
03 · Physical and chemical properties
Phenolphthalein properties
Every value is shown with the conditions it was measured under and the source it came from. Where sources disagree, all values are listed rather than one being picked — the difference is usually a different form of the substance, not an error.
| Property | Value | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 262.5 °C (504.5 °F) | HSDB | |
| 260 °C (500 °F) | range, midpoint shown | CAMEO | |
| Density | 1.299 g/cm³ | at 25 °C | CAMEO |
| 1.277 g/cm³ | at 32 °C | HSDB | |
| Solubility | 1 g dissolves in 12 ml alcohol, in about 100 ml ether; sol in dil solutions of Alkali hydroxides and hot solutions of alkali carborates forming a red soln | HSDB | |
| In water, 400 mg/L @ room temperature | HSDB | ||
| Vapor pressure | 6.7e-13 mmHg | at 25 °C | HSDB |
Values compiled from PubChem Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary. Temperatures converted to Fahrenheit for reference.
04 · Source notes
Further notes on Phenolphthalein
These are descriptions rather than measured values, so they are kept out of the table above and quoted here with the source that reported them.
Solubility
Insoluble in benzene and petroleum ether; slightly soluble in carbon disulfide; soluble in ethyl ether, chloroform, and toluene; very soluble in ethanol, acetone, and pyrene.
Source: HSDB
05 · Handling and storage
Storing and handling Phenolphthalein
Storage conditions
PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practical to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Reactivity
PHENOLPHTHALEIN is incompatible with alkaloids. (NTP, 1992)
Source: CAMEO Chemicals
Planning storage for a mix of chemicals? Check Phenolphthalein in the storage compatibility matrix →
Safety Data Sheet
Getting an SDS for Phenolphthalein
A Safety Data Sheet is written for a product, not for a substance: the supplier of the grade you actually buy issues it, so two suppliers of Phenolphthalein issue two different sheets. That is why there is no single authoritative SDS for a substance to download — what there is, is the job of collecting the sheets for the products you hold and keeping them current as suppliers revise them.
Nearby
Substances next to Phenolphthalein
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