Key Facts

Other Names:

None

Formula:

C₁₀H₈

Elements:

Carbon, hydrogen

Compound Type:

Aromatic hydrocarbon (organic)

State:

Solid

Molecular Weight:

128.17 g/mol

Melting Point:

80.26°C (176.5°F)

Boiling Point:

217.9°C (424.2°F)

Solubility:

Insoluble in water; soluble in ethyl alcohol; very soluble in ether and acetone

Overview

Naphthalene (NAF-thuh-leen) is a white crystalline volatile solid with a characteristic odor often associated with mothballs. The compound sublimes (turns from a solid to a gas) slowly at room temperature, producing a vapor that is highly combustible. Naphthalene was first extracted from coal tar in 1819 by English chemist and physician John Kidd (1775–1851). Coal tar is a brown to black thick liquid formed when soft coal is burned in an insufficient amount of air. It consists of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, similar to that found in petroleum. Kidd's extraction of naphthalene was of considerable historic significance because it demonstrated that coal had other...