Phenyl salicylate

Phenyl salicylate, or salol, is a chemical substance, introduced in 1886 by Marceli Nencki of Basel. It can be created by heating salicylic acid with phenol. It has been used as an intestinal antiseptic based on the antibacterial activity upon hydrolysis in the small intestine. Once used in sunscreens, phenyl salicylate is now used in the manufacture of some polymers, lacquers, adhesives, waxes and polishes. It is also used frequently in school laboratory demonstrations on how cooling rates affect crystal size in igneous rocks.