Phenol Flashcards
What is phenol?
A benzene ring with a hydroxyl group attached
How do you name a phenol?
1 OH - phenol, more than 1 requires the suffix -ol
What is the appearance of phenol at TP?
Sickly sweet odour and is a pink solid at room temperature
What is the solubility of phenol in water?
It is partially
What can phenols react with?
Metals and strong bases, such as metal hydroxides
What can phenols not react with?
Weak bases, such as metal carbonates
Why can’t phenol react with everything?
They are very weak acids
What is formed when a phenol reacts?
Phenoxides
By which mechanism do phenols react?
By electrophilic substitution
How do phenols react?
Easily at RTP without a halogen carrier catalyst and multiple substitutions occur
What reaction of phenol can be used as a chemical test?
Phenol and bromine
What is the equation between phenol and bromine?
Phenol + 3Br2 -> 2,4,6 - tribromophenol + 3HBr
Why does phenol react with bromine in an odd way?
It doesn’t undergo electrophilic addition so the pi bonding is the benzene ring is very hard to break
What is the pattern of reaction between benzene and phenol?
Phenol is more reactive
Why is phenol more reactive than benzene?
One lone pair from oxygen is donated so it is more electron dense
Why can phenol react with bromine?
The ring becomes electron dense enough that it can polarise the bromine molecule
What is the reaction of phenol + nitric acid?
Phenol + dilute HNO3 -> 2-nitrophenol / 4-nitrophenol + water
What is the effect of water solubility on phenol when the water is warm?
It is more soluble
What happens hen you add sodium hydroxide to phenol in water?
Phenol dissolves
What happens when you add sodium carbonate to phenol in water?
No apparent reactions
What happens when you add bromine water to solid phenol?
Bromine water decolourises and a white precipitate is formed
