Review

A Comprehensive Review, Hydroxyacetophenone: Structure, Properties and Applications

Abstract

Hydroxyacetophenones represent a small, but economically important class of chemical substances which are characterized by the presence as an essential constituent of a phenone ring (hydroxyl; acetyl). They are simple molecules but highly reactive, stable and applicable to organic and pharmaceutical reactions. Therefore, they are considered to be one of the most important building blocks by many researchers. Various isomers can be obtained by different orientations of hydroxyl and acetyl groups. The biological activity of all these forms and their economic value was determined by physical-chemical characteristics that developed. In addition to the structural features, several hydroxyacetophenones are of interest for further applications because they can be found in different forms as natural and synthetic building blocks, cosmetics or pharmaceutical products. They also play significant role in antioxidant defense, working as adducts for drugs and blocks for the synthesis of functional nanostructured materials. The compound may be chemically modified in a number of manners, and derivatives thereof may therefore possess the desired characteristics due to the two functional groups. This review not only summarizes the structural properties and classification of hydroxyacetophenones but also discusses their physicochemical characteristics, synthesis strategies, detection methods and numerous applications in biology, medicine as well as industry. Special attention is paid to the current views on the long-lasting significance of hydroxyacetophenones for solutions of a number of global scientific and technological problems (green chemistry, biotechnology, materials science).