Picric Acid

Overview IFRA Request a quote

  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    88-89-1

    Molecular formula
    C6H3N3O7

    SMILES
    C1=C(C=C(C(=C1[N+](=O)[O-])O)[N+](=O)[O-])[N+](=O)[O-]

    Safety labels

    Explosive
    Explosive

    Acute Toxic
    Acute Toxic

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Odorless 53.51%
    Sweet 50.65%
    Fatty 26.0%
    Powdery 25.04%
    Creamy 24.55%
    Caramellic 24.55%
    Burnt 24.24%
    Bitter 22.43%
    Sour 22.39%
    Milky 21.72%

     

    Flavor
    Bitter 63.92%
    Odorless 54.68%
    Mild 26.71%
    Very mild 25.41%
    Bland 23.21%
    Nitrile 20.59%
    Sweet-like 20.42%
    Yeast 19.83%
    Bread crust 19.81%
    Urine 19.15%

     

    Odor impact est.
    Low

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    0.9

    pKa est.
    6.77 (neutral)

    Molecular weight
    229.1 g/mol

    Melting point expt.

    • 252 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
    • 251 to 253 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • 121 °C
    • 122 °C
    • 252 °F

    Boiling point

    • Explodes above 572 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
    • greater than 572 °F at 760 mmHg (Sublimes/explodes) (NTP, 1992)
    • Explodes above 572 °F
    • BP: Explodes

    Flash point

    • 156.81 ˚C est.
    • 302 °F (NIOSH, 2024)
    • 302 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • 150 °C (302 °F) - closed cup
    • 150 °C c.c.
    • 302 °F

    Solubility expt.

    • 1 % (NIOSH, 2024)
    • 1 to 10 mg/mL at 75 °F (NTP, 1992)
    • In water, 1.27X10+4 mg/L at 25 °C
    • Slightly soluble in water
    • 1 g in 12 mL alcohol, 10 mL benzene, 35 mL chloroform, and 65 mL ether
    • Soluble in ethanol, ether, benzene, chloroform; very soluble in acetone
    • Solubility in water, g/100ml: 1.4
    • 1%

  • Synonyms

    • PICRIC ACID
    • 2,4,6-Trinitrophenol
    • Trinitrophenol
    • 88-89-1
    • Carbazotic acid
    • Picronitric acid
    • Melinite
    • Acide picrique
    • Picral
    • Nitroxanthic acid
    • Phenol trinitrate
    • Pikrinezuur
    • Pikrinsaeure
    • Acido picrico
    • Pikrynowy kwas
    • Phenol, 2,4,6-trinitro-
    • Phenoltrinitrate
    • 2-Hydroxy-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene
    • Picricum acidum
    • Kyselina pikrova
    • Acidum picrinicum
    • 1,3,5-Trinitrophenol
    • 2,4,6-Trinitrofenol
    • 2,4,6-Trinitrofenolo
    • C.I. 10305
    • CCRIS 3106
    • 2,4,6-Trinitrophenyl
    • HSDB 2040
    • CI 10305
    • EINECS 201-865-9
    • UNII-A49OS0F91S
    • NSC 36947
    • A49OS0F91S
    • CHEBI:46149
    • AI3-15403
    • NSC-36947
    • DTXSID4025909
    • Picric acid, dry
    • Picric acid, wet
    • 2,6-Trinitrofenol
    • Pertite
    • Picric acid (dry)
    • Picric acid (wet)
    • 1,5-Trinitrophenol
    • 2,6-Trinitrofenolo
    • 2,6-Trinitrophenol
    • Phenol,4,6-trinitro-
    • WLN: WNR BQ CNW ENW
    • TRINITROPHENOL (MART.)
    • TRINITROPHENOL [MART.]
    • 2-Hydroxy-1,5-trinitrobenzene
    • Pikrinezuur [Dutch]
    • Pikrinsaeure [German]
    • Acide picrique [French]
    • Acido picrico [Italian]
    • Pikrynowy kwas [Polish]
    • Kyselina pikrova [Czech]
    • Trinitrophenol [NF]
    • 2,4,6-TNP
    • 2,4,6-Trinitrofenol [Dutch]
    • 2,4,6-Trinitrofenolo [Italian]
    • NA1344
    • UN0154
    • UN1344
    • Reflorit
    • Acidum Picricum
    • Carbonitric acid
    • Hager's reagent
    • Nitrophenesic acid
    • 1-hydroxy-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene
    • San Su
    • Picric acid, p.a.
    • Lyddite (Salt/Mix)
    • Ecrasite (Salt/Mix)
    • Schimose (Salt/Mix)
    • PICRIC ACID [MI]
    • PICRIC ACID [HSDB]
    • SCHEMBL8745
    • NA 1344 (Salt/Mix)
    • UN 1344 (Salt/Mix)
    • PICRIC ACID [WHO-DD]
    • PICRICUM ACIDUM [HPUS]
    • CHEMBL108541
    • DTXCID905909
    • Picric acid, dry or wetted with < 30% water, by mass
    • SCHEMBL14419782
    • BDBM34612
    • cid_3241713
    • Trinitrophenol, dry or wetted with < 30% water, by mass
    • NSC36947
    • NSC56147
    • NSC-56147
    • STL199171
    • AKOS008966816
    • DB03651
    • UN 0154
    • Picric acid, wet, with not <10% water
    • DB-057108
    • Picric acid, moistened with water, >=98%
    • NS00010581
    • Picric acid, SAJ special grade, >=99.5%
    • 2-methylbenzo[g][1,3]benzoxazole;picric acid
    • Picric acid solution (1.3% in H2O, saturated)
    • A842990
    • Q189298
    • SR-01000944524
    • 1-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-beta-carboline;picric acid
    • 2,4,6-Trinitrophenol 10 microg/mL in Acetonitrile
    • SR-01000944524-1
    • 2,4,6-Trinitrophenol 100 microg/mL in Acetonitrile
    • Trinitrophenol, wetted with not <30% water, by mass
    • 2-methylbenzo[g][1,3]benzoxazole;2,4,6-trinitrophenol
    • Picric acid, wet, with not <10% water [NA1344] [Flammable solid]
    • Trinitrophenol or picric acid, dry or wetted with <30% water, by mass
    • Trinitrophenol, wetted with not <30% water, by mass [UN1344] [Flammable solid]
    • 201-865-9
    • InChI=1/C6H3N3O7/c10-6-4(8(13)14)1-3(7(11)12)2-5(6)9(15)16/h1-2,10
    • Trinitrophenol or picric acid, dry or wetted with <30% water, by mass [UN0154] [Explosive 1.1D]

  • Applications

    Picric Acid (CAS 88-89-1) is a nitroaromatic compound with a range of real-world applications: it is used as an energetic material and historical explosive; it also serves as a textile mordant and yellow dye fixing agent for wool and silk; it functions as a staining reagent in histology and cytology (notably in picro-solution) to provide contrast in tissue sections; it is a precursor to picrate esters and related derivatives used in energetic materials and various organic syntheses; and it is employed as a chemical reagent in certain analytical tests involving nitroaromatics, subject to local regulations and formulation limits.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 28.18
    methanol 38.21
    isopropanol 15.75
    water 1.8
    ethyl acetate 133.62
    n-propanol 20.07
    acetone 151.95
    n-butanol 12.67
    acetonitrile 70.3
    DMF 226.88
    toluene 42.4
    isobutanol 11.51
    1,4-dioxane 136.57
    methyl acetate 156.07
    THF 241.08
    2-butanone 128.26
    n-pentanol 18.95
    sec-butanol 19.52
    n-hexane 1.9
    ethylene glycol 31.29
    NMP 417.09
    cyclohexane 4.38
    DMSO 309.22
    n-butyl acetate 78.68
    n-octanol 34.13
    chloroform 15.17
    n-propyl acetate 97.37
    acetic acid 67.17
    dichloromethane 34.64
    cyclohexanone 96.64
    propylene glycol 21.41
    isopropyl acetate 75.36
    DMAc 308.58
    2-ethoxyethanol 105.53
    isopentanol 12.1
    n-heptane 4.67
    ethyl formate 50.34
    1,2-dichloroethane 43.68
    n-hexanol 24.35
    2-methoxyethanol 105.94
    isobutyl acetate 36.92
    tetrachloromethane 2.23
    n-pentyl acetate 70.41
    transcutol 304.31
    n-heptanol 25.27
    ethylbenzene 22.55
    MIBK 47.48
    2-propoxyethanol 107.84
    tert-butanol 22.86
    MTBE 41.03
    2-butoxyethanol 73.78
    propionic acid 58.97
    o-xylene 31.55
    formic acid 60.27
    diethyl ether 62.55
    m-xylene 25.6
    p-xylene 21.73
    chlorobenzene 24.46
    dimethyl carbonate 115.94
    n-octane 3.04
    formamide 132.8
    cyclopentanone 190.85
    2-pentanone 80.31
    anisole 100.13
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 90.87
    gamma-butyrolactone 273.63
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 79.91
    pyridine 142.46
    3-pentanone 91.87
    furfural 235.62
    n-dodecane 3.3
    diethylene glycol 99.08
    diisopropyl ether 20.4
    tert-amyl alcohol 26.5
    acetylacetone 174.79
    n-hexadecane 3.96
    acetophenone 122.7
    methyl propionate 137.41
    isopentyl acetate 54.35
    trichloroethylene 66.72
    n-nonanol 35.72
    cyclohexanol 19.09
    benzyl alcohol 55.99
    2-ethylhexanol 21.15
    isooctanol 17.68
    dipropyl ether 43.94
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 23.44
    ethyl lactate 61.58
    propylene carbonate 104.55
    n-methylformamide 116.82
    2-pentanol 14.25
    n-pentane 2.51
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 73.65
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 126.27
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 110.67
    mesitylene 12.87
    ε-caprolactone 118.77
    p-cymene 19.02
    epichlorohydrin 202.42
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 16.78
    2-aminoethanol 27.13
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 320.63
    sulfolane 331.18
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 1.49
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 123.12
    n-hexyl acetate 96.41
    isooctane 0.92
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 128.17
    sec-butyl acetate 61.79
    tert-butyl acetate 81.11
    decalin 2.32
    glycerin 43.01
    diglyme 212.73
    acrylic acid 84.12
    isopropyl myristate 44.14
    n-butyric acid 35.16
    acetyl acetate 93.82
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 35.52
    ethyl propionate 98.34
    nitromethane 291.35
    1,2-diethoxyethane 105.8
    benzonitrile 55.34
    trioctyl phosphate 26.37
    1-bromopropane 19.98
    gamma-valerolactone 247.29
    n-decanol 28.35
    triethyl phosphate 37.7
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 9.92
    propionitrile 41.91
    vinylene carbonate 89.06
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 121.8
    DMS 133.25
    cumene 13.43
    2-octanol 20.35
    2-hexanone 81.57
    octyl acetate 63.03
    limonene 25.2
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 139.26
    ethyl orthosilicate 29.42
    tributyl phosphate 29.32
    diacetone alcohol 87.14
    N,N-dimethylaniline 60.1
    acrylonitrile 75.2
    aniline 45.35
    1,3-propanediol 26.14
    bromobenzene 19.37
    dibromomethane 18.56
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 42.05
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 54.45
    tetrabutyl urea 51.69
    diisobutyl methanol 12.35
    2-phenylethanol 62.18
    styrene 28.6
    dioctyl adipate 68.64
    dimethyl sulfate 198.35
    ethyl butyrate 68.13
    methyl lactate 89.78
    butyl lactate 50.05
    diethyl carbonate 46.84
    propanediol butyl ether 66.96
    triethyl orthoformate 45.0
    p-tert-butyltoluene 17.72
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 90.76
    morpholine 128.71
    tert-butylamine 9.88
    n-dodecanol 20.95
    dimethoxymethane 161.01
    ethylene carbonate 66.29
    cyrene 142.74
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 141.07
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 49.59
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 39.97
    4-methylpyridine 99.38
    dibutyl ether 41.28
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 12.35
    DEF 113.51
    dimethyl isosorbide 181.63
    tetrachloroethylene 27.96
    eugenol 93.04
    triacetin 133.29
    span 80 72.93
    1,4-butanediol 20.84
    1,1-dichloroethane 23.28
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 17.77
    methyl formate 119.53
    2-methyl-1-butanol 13.51
    n-decane 5.41
    butyronitrile 23.11
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 25.33
    1-chlorooctane 19.24
    1-chlorotetradecane 9.49
    n-nonane 4.64
    undecane 4.29
    tert-butylcyclohexane 1.72
    cyclooctane 2.77
    cyclopentanol 28.36
    tetrahydropyran 72.76
    tert-amyl methyl ether 47.0
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 176.09
    1-hexene 8.72
    2-isopropoxyethanol 76.14
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 49.75
    methyl butyrate 89.9

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction