Methylparaben

Methylparaben
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name Methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate
	Other names Methyl paraben; Methyl p-hydroxybenzoate; Methyl parahydroxybenzoate; Nipagin M; E number E218; Tegosept; Mycocten;
Identifiers
CAS Number	99-76-3 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChEBI	CHEBI:31835 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL325372 ;
ChemSpider	7176 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.002.532
E number	E218 (preservatives)
IUPHAR/BPS	6273;
KEGG	D01400 ;
PubChem CID	7456;
UNII	A2I8C7HI9T ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID4022529 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/C8H8O3/c1-11-8(10)6-2-4-7(9)5-3-6/h2-5,9H,1H3 Key: LXCFILQKKLGQFO-UHFFFAOYSA-N ; InChI=1/C8H8O3/c1-11-8(10)6-2-4-7(9)5-3-6/h2-5,9H,1H3 Key: LXCFILQKKLGQFO-UHFFFAOYAH;
	SMILES COC(=O)c1ccc(O)cc1;
Properties
Chemical formula	C8H8O3
Molar mass	152.149 g·mol−1
Appearance	Colorless crystals or white crystalline powder
Density	1.383 g/cm3
Melting point	131 °C (268 °F; 404 K)
Boiling point	265 °C (509 °F; 538 K)
UV-vis (λmax)	255 nm (methanol)
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	−88.7·10−6 cm3/mol
Hazards
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	1 1 0
Related compounds
Related Parabens	Ethylparaben; Propylparaben; Butylparaben
Related compounds	Methyl salicylate (ortho isomer)
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Methylparaben (methyl paraben) one of the parabens, is a preservative with the chemical formula CH₃O₂CC₆H₄OH. It is the methyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Several related esters are known (ethyl-, propyl-, butylparaben). Together they are the most common preservatives in cosmetics and foods. Among their advantages, parabens are inexpensive, colorless, stable, odorless, and readily biodegraded.