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Features of Phenol (C6H5OH):
- Solubility in water - Phenol is sparingly soluble in water as the OH group is able to form hydrogen bonds, Phenols are similar to alcohols but form stronger hydrogn bonds, Thus, they are more soluble in water than are alcohols and have higher boiling points.
Do you remember the content of A-level Chemistry regarding Benzene? 👨🏫
- As compared to benzene, the benzene ring limits the solubility allowing it to only form weak Van der waals force of attraction.
- Acidic Properties - Phenol is a weak acid as it partially dissociates in water.
- Reaction: Phenols are highly reactive towards electrophilic aromatic substitution, because the non-bonging electrons on oxygen stabilised the intermediate cation.
You do not need to know the mechanism for electrophilic aromatic substitution in A-level Chemistry, however you will need to now the mechanism for electrophilic substitution! 👨🏫
Uses of Phenol:
- Antiseptics
- Detergents
- Synthesis of aspirin and dyes
- Explosives
- Resin
State why Phenol is more reactive than Benzene:
- A lone pair of electrons occupying the P-orbital on the oxygen is delocalised into the Benzene ring, this creates a high electron density and the ring is said to be activated.
- This increased electron density allows polarisation of molecules therefore increasing the attraction of the atom to the electron rich centre.
Reference:
https://www.britannica.com/science/phenol
This is the end of the topic!
Drafted by Cherry (Chemistry)