HS 2918.19

S-Mandelic Acid

S-Mandelic Acid is the (S)-(+) enantiomer of α-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, with the molecular formula C₈H₈O₃. It is a white to off-white crystalline solid bearing a single stereocenter at the α-carbon, which carries a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, a phenyl ring, and a hydrogen.

The compound is valued primarily as a chiral building block and resolving agent in pharmaceutical synthesis, and secondarily as an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) active in topical cosmetic chemistry. It is not a food acidulant in the conventional sense, though the racemate appears in some pharmacopoeial contexts as a urinary anti-infective.

We source bulk S-Mandelic Acid from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Henan. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.

Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.

or call +86-21-6858 0751

Packaging: 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner

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Specifications

Item	Specification
Appearance	White to off-white crystalline powder
Identification	Infrared spectrum conforms to reference standard
Assay (titration, dry basis)	≥ 99.0%
Specific Rotation [α]D20	+154° to +158° (c = 2.5, water)
Enantiomeric Excess (chiral HPLC)	≥ 99.0%
Melting Range	131 to 134 °C
Loss on Drying	≤ 0.5%
Residue on Ignition	≤ 0.1%
Chloride	≤ 0.02%
Sulfate	≤ 0.02%
Residual Solvent (Toluene)	≤ 890 mg/kg
Residual Solvent (Ethyl Acetate)	≤ 5,000 mg/kg
Heavy Metals (as Pb)	≤ 10 mg/kg
Lead (Pb)	≤ 2 mg/kg
Arsenic (as As)	≤ 2 mg/kg

Common Markets Grades

S-Mandelic Acid is graded by chiral and chemical purity together.

The standard pharmaceutical-intermediate grade runs at 99.0 percent chemical purity with an enantiomeric excess (ee) of 99.0 percent or higher, certified by chiral HPLC. Specific rotation typically falls between +154° and +158° (c = 2.5 in water at 20 °C) and serves as a quick identity check.

A higher tier at 99.5 percent chemical purity and 99.5 percent ee or better is produced for asymmetric-synthesis applications and as a chiral resolving agent for amine racemates. Heavy-metal, residual-solvent (typically toluene and ethyl acetate from work-up), and sulfated-ash limits are tightened in this tier.

Cosmetic-grade material sits at 99 percent purity, typically the same chemical grade with documentation supporting topical-use specifications under cosmetic-ingredient regulations. The racemic and (R)-(−) enantiomers are sold as separate, distinct products, with the racemate carrying its own pharmacopoeial monographs.

Applications

Chiral resolving agent for racemic amines in pharmaceutical synthesis
Chiral starting material in the synthesis of beta-lactam antibiotics including cefamandole
Intermediate in the asymmetric synthesis of homatropine, cyclandelate, and related esters
Building block for the synthesis of (S)-configured drug actives requiring an α-hydroxy-phenyl scaffold
Active ingredient in topical chemical peels and AHA cosmetic formulations at 5 to 10 percent typical use
Anti-acne and pigmentation-correcting active in dermatological products
Chiral derivatizing agent for NMR enantiomeric-excess determination of alcohols and amines
Reference standard for chiral HPLC method development
Component of urinary anti-infective formulations (historically, primarily as the racemate)
Reagent in asymmetric catalysis research and ligand design
Educational compound for stereochemistry and crystallisation-induced resolution teaching

Brands Using S-Mandelic Acid

Widely-distributed consumer products that list S-Mandelic Acid on the ingredient label.

Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.

China Manufacturers of S-Mandelic Acid

Top S-Mandelic Acid manufacturers in China.

Henan Green Chemical Co., Ltd.（河南德林化工有限公司）
1 ingredient in the directory

Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.

How We Help Source S-Mandelic Acid

Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your S-Mandelic Acid out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load S-Mandelic Acid together with other ingredients such as Calcium Acetate, Citric Acid and Glucono-Delta-Lactone into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.

Regulatory Status

S-Mandelic Acid is not a permitted food additive in the major regulated jurisdictions and is not typically marketed for food use.

In the European Union, S-mandelic acid is not listed in the Union list of authorised food additives under Regulation (EC) 1333/2008 and carries no E number. It is regulated principally as a pharmaceutical intermediate and as a cosmetic ingredient. Under the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 it appears on the cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng), and the regulation permits it in leave-on and rinse-off products subject to general safety-assessment requirements.

In the United States, the substance is not GRAS-listed or otherwise authorised as a direct food substance. It is listed on the TSCA inventory for industrial use. For cosmetic use it falls under standard FDA cosmetic-ingredient labelling and safety requirements without specific use restriction.

For pharmaceutical applications, racemic mandelic acid is monographed in the British Pharmacopoeia and several European national pharmacopoeias, primarily reflecting its historical use as a urinary anti-infective. The enantiomerically pure (S) form is regulated as a pharmaceutical starting material under ICH Q7 and the corresponding national active-pharmaceutical-ingredient frameworks rather than as a finished drug substance.

The compound is registered under REACH in the European Union and appears on the major industrial-chemical inventories (TSCA, DSL, IECSC, AICS, KECI). It is not classified as a CMR substance and has a broadly favorable industrial-hygiene profile under standard handling.

Manufacturing Process

S-Mandelic Acid Manufacturing Process

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S-Mandelic acid is produced by resolution of racemic mandelic acid or by direct asymmetric synthesis.

The classical industrial route is resolution. Racemic mandelic acid is reacted with a chiral amine such as (R)-(+)-α-methylbenzylamine or a cinchona alkaloid in a suitable solvent. The diastereomeric salts crystallise selectively, are separated by filtration, and are decomposed by mineral acid to release the resolved free acid. Mother liquors are racemized and recycled to improve overall yield. Racemic mandelic acid itself is made by acid hydrolysis of mandelonitrile (from benzaldehyde and HCN) or by the reaction of benzaldehyde with chloroform under alkaline conditions.

A second, more modern route is biocatalytic. Mandelonitrile is hydrolysed by an (S)-selective nitrilase enzyme (commonly derived from Alcaligenes faecalis or related organisms) to give (S)-mandelic acid directly in high ee, typically above 99 percent. This route avoids the yield penalty of classical resolution and has displaced the resolution approach in several modern plants.

A third route is asymmetric catalytic hydrogenation of phenylglyoxylic acid using chiral ruthenium or rhodium complexes bearing BINAP-type ligands. This route gives access to either enantiomer by choice of ligand chirality and is used where the highest enantiomeric purity is required.