CAS 552-38-5: Lithium salicylate

Lithium 2-Hydroxybenzoate

This Thermo Scientific Chemicals brand product was originally part of the Alfa Aesar product portfolio. Some documentation and label information may refer to the legacy brand. The original Alfa Aesar product / item code or SKU reference has not changed as a part of the brand transition to Thermo Scientific Chemicals.

Lithium salicylate is a hydroxybenzoic acid ester that is used as an antipyretic and analgesic. It has been shown to increase locomotor activity in rats with no effect on the thermal expansion of lithium salicylate. Lithium salicylate also has a high solubility in water, which makes it useful as a solvent for hydrophobic molecules. Lithium salicylate can be found in two forms: as the sodium salt or potassium salt. The potassium form is more soluble in water than the sodium form, but both are soluble in organic solvents such as alcohols and ethers. Lithium salicylate is used to prepare samples for gas chromatography analysis because it undergoes minimal chemical changes when heated or exposed to radiation. The drug also has ester linkages, which make it susceptible to hydrolysis by lipases and other enzymes present in biological fluids.