The difference between methyl and xylene

Toluene and xylene are both aromatic compounds, but their structures and substitution are significantly different. The molecular structure of toluene is C6H5CH3, in which a methyl group (CH3) is connected to the benzene ring, while the structure of xylene is C6H10, and two methyl groups (CH3-) are connected to the benzene ring.

This structural difference directly leads to significant differences in molecular weight, boiling point, density and so on. Toluene has a molecular weight of 78.11g/mol, a boiling point of 110.6°C and a density of 0.866g/cm³, while xylene has a molecular weight of 86.18g/mol, a boiling point of 123.18°C and a density of 0.867g/cm³. Although the molecular weight of xylene is slightly higher than that of toluene, the boiling point is significantly higher than that of toluene, which is mainly related to the structural symmetry of xylene.

Physical properties of significant differences

From the point of view of physical properties, there is a clear difference between toluene and xylene. Toluene has a lower density and lower boiling point, which makes it commonly used as a solvent and extractant. Although the density of xylene is slightly higher than that of toluene, its boiling point is higher, which makes it easier to volatilize under high temperature conditions. It is often used in organic synthesis and chemical processes.

The symmetrical structure of xylene makes it more stable under light, and it is not easy to decompose or polymerize, while toluene is easy to trigger organic chemical reactions such as DEAD reaction due to the presence of activated methyl. This difference allows di-or toluene to exhibit different properties under different process conditions.

Chemical properties of significant differences

In terms of chemical properties, toluene and xylene are also significantly different. Toluene has an activated methyl group, which is easy to react with a variety of reagents, such as nitration, halogenation and so on, so it has important application value in organic synthesis. Because of its symmetrical structure, the methyl group is difficult to activate and the chemical reaction activity is low. However, under certain conditions, the oxidation reaction can occur by photolysis and other means to generate xylene diperoxide and other intermediates to form new chemical functions.

Application areas are different

Toluene and xylene have their own characteristics in industrial applications. Toluene is mainly used as solvent, extractant and intermediate, widely used in dyes, petroleum processing, rubber industry and other fields. Because of its high stability, xylene is often used as a solvent, dehydrating agent and inducer of polymer materials, especially in the field of organic synthesis and surface science.

Summary

There are significant differences between toluene and xylene in structure, substitution, physical properties, chemical properties and application fields. The selection of suitable compounds should be comprehensively considered according to the specific process requirements and application scenarios.