Therefore will eventually be hydrolyzed and oxidized to yield phenylacetic acid that will be excreted primarily in the urine in conjugated form.

Natural sources of the compound include chocolate,[3] buckwheat,[4] flowers, and communication pheromones from various insect orders.

Historically, before biotechnology approaches were developed, phenylacetaldehyde was also used to produce phenylalanine via the Strecker reaction as a step in the production of aspartame sweetener.

Notable examples include: Phenylacetaldehyde is often contaminated with polystyrene oxide polymer because of the especial lability of the benzylic alpha proton and the reactivity of the aldehyde.

Aldol condensation of the initial dimer gives rise to a range of Michael acceptors and donors.