Glycerol

Propane-1,2,3-triol, a three-hydroxyl building block of fats and oils.

Formula
C3H8O3
Molar mass
92.09 g/mol
Also known as
propane-1,2,3-triol, glycerin, Glycerine, 1,2,3-Propanetriol, Glycyl alcohol, Trihydroxypropane, Glyceritol

Overview

Propane-1,2,3-triol, a three-hydroxyl building block of fats and oils.

Each hydroxyl group can participate in ester formation. Esterification with fatty acids produces mono-, di- or triacylglycerols according to how many positions react. Hydrolysis of a triacylglycerol returns glycerol and fatty acids or their salts, depending on the conditions.

Identifiers

Formula
C3H8O3
Molar mass
92.09 g/mol
Also known as
propane-1,2,3-triol, glycerin, Glycerine, 1,2,3-Propanetriol, Glycyl alcohol, Trihydroxypropane, Glyceritol
Chemical identifiers
SMILES
C(C(CO)O)O
InChI
InChI=1S/C3H8O3/c4-1-3(6)2-5/h3-6H,1-2H2
PubChem CID
753

Properties

Melting Point
18.1 °C
Boiling / decomposition
290 °C (decomposes)
Density
1.2613 g/cu cm at 20 °C
Water solubility
In water, 5.296X10+6 mg/L at 25 °C

Related compounds

  • Alcohols

    Propane-1,2,3-triol, a three-hydroxyl building block of fats and oils.

References

  1. PubChem Compound Summary: Glycerol (CID 753)National Center for Biotechnology Information · PubChem

    Identity, molecular formula, molecular weight and aliases retrieved via PUG REST on 2026-09-08.

  2. OpenStax Organic Chemistry: Waxes, fats, and oilsJohn McMurry · OpenStax · 2023

    Supports the qualitative structural interpretation of the recorded molecular structure; no new physical measurement or verified preparative yield is claimed.

  3. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Glycerol — melting pointHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

    Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/753#section=Melting-Point. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Lide, D.R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 88TH Edition 2007-2008. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL 2007, p. 3-268

  4. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Glycerol — boiling pointHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

    Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/753#section=Boiling-Point. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: O'Neil, M.J. (ed.). The Merck Index - An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 2006., p. 774

  5. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Glycerol — densityHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

    Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/753#section=Density. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Lide, D.R. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 88TH Edition 2007-2008. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL 2007, p. 3-268

  6. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB): Glycerol — solubilityHazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)

    Retrieved through PubChem PUG View on 2026-09-08. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/753#section=Solubility. Source value, complete property clause or compact miscibility statement retained; absent pressure, temperature or phase conditions are not inferred. Original reference: Yalkowsky, S.H., He, Yan., Handbook of Aqueous Solubility Data: An Extensive Compilation of Aqueous Solubility Data for Organic Compounds Extracted from the AQUASOL dATAbASE. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. 2003., p. 79