What is "benzilic acid"

n. (context organic chemistry English) A white crystalline aromatic acid soluble in many primary alcohols, which can be prepared by heating a mixture of benzil, alcohol, and potassium hydroxide.

Benzilic acid is a white crystalline aromatic acid soluble in many primary alcohols. It can be prepared by heating mixture of benzil, alcohol and potassium hydroxide. The other preparation way is through benzaldehyde, which dimerizates to benzil and it is further transformed by benzilic acid rearrangement to benzilic acid. This reaction was also the first example of benzilic acid rearrangement performed by Liebig in 1838.