Phenol - Reimer-Tiemann reaction

 Reimer-Tiemann reaction:
When phenol is refluxed with chloroform in the presence of acqueous sodium hydroxide at 340 K followed by hydrolysis, an aldehydic group (HC=O) gets introduced in the ring at a position ortho to the phenolic group. So ortho hydroxy bezaldehyde is formed. It is also called salicylaldehyde.

JEE - Study Guide - 13. Organic Compounds with functional Groups Containing Oxygen - I (Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers)

Sections in Chapters 13A and 13B

Part A: Alcohols and phenols
13A.1 Alcohols
13.2 Nomenclature of Alcohols
13.3 Isomerism in Alcohols
Practice problems 13A. 1 to 13A.5
13.4 General methods of preparation of Alcohols
13.5 Industrial preparation of Alcohols
13.6 Physical properties of Alcohols
13.7 Chemical properties of Alcohols
13.8 Distinction between primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols
13.9 Interconversions of alcohols
P.P. 13A.6 to 13A.13

Phenols

13.10 Phenols
13.11 Nomenclature of Phenols
13.12 General methods of preparation of Phenols
13.13 Physical properties of Phenols
13.14 Chemical properties of Phenols
13.15 Distinction between alcohols and phenols
P.P. 13A.14 to 13A.22
13.16 Some commercially important alcohols
13.17
13.18
13.19

Conceptual Questions with Answers: 15
Additional Numerical Problems for Practice:
Revision Exercises
Very Short Answer questions: 25
Short Answer Questions: 52
Long Answer Questions : 17

Competition File: typical questions: 30 (2 days)
Objective Questions: Multiple choice: 50
Fill in the blanks: 10
True or False: 10


Part B Ethers

13B.1 Nomenclature of Ethers
P.P. 13B.1 to 13B.3
13.2 Isomerism in Ethers
13.3 General methods of preparation of Ethers
P.P. 13B.4 to 13B.6
13.4 Physical properties of Ethers
13.5 Chemical properties of Ethers
13.6 Some commercially important compounds

Conceptual Questions with Answers: 10
Additional Numerical Problems for Practice:
Revision Exercises
Very Short Answer questions: 15
Short Answer Questions : 18

Competition File
Cyclic ethers
Typical questions: 8
Objective Questions: Multiple choice: 15
True or False: 10


Study Plan

Day 1

Part A: Alcohols and phenols
13A.1 Alcohols
13.2 Nomenclature of Alcohols
13.3 Isomerism in Alcohols
Practice problems 13A. 1 to 13A.5

Day 2
13.4 General methods of preparation of Alcohols
13.5 Industrial preparation of Alcohols

Day 3
13.6 Physical properties of Alcohols
13.7 Chemical properties of Alcohols
13.8 Distinction between primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols
13.9 Interconversions of alcohols

Day 4

P.P. 13A.6 to 13A.13

Phenols

13.10 Phenols
13.11 Nomenclature of Phenols

Day 5
13.12 General methods of preparation of Phenols
13.13 Physical properties of Phenols
13.14 Chemical properties of Phenols

Day 6
13.15 Distinction between alcohols and phenols
P.P. 13A.14 to 13A.22

Day 7
13.16 Some commercially important alcohols

Day 8
Conceptual Questions with Answers: 15
Revision Exercises: Very Short Answer questions: 25

Day 9

Short Answer Questions: 1 to 26

Day 10
Short Answer Questions: 27 to 52

Day 11

Part B Ethers

13B.1 Nomenclature of Ethers
P.P. 13B.1 to 13B.3
13.2 Isomerism in Ethers

Day 12
13.3 General methods of preparation of Ethers
P.P. 13B.4 to 13B.6
13.4 Physical properties of Ethers

Day 13
13.5 Chemical properties of Ethers

Day 14
13.6 Some commercially important compounds
Conceptual Questions with Answers (Ether): 10

Day 15

13A

Competition File: typical questions: I concersions and II Reaction

Revision period

Day 16

Competition File: typical questions:III Questions based on structure

Day 17
Competition File: typical questions: IV Other questions 1 to 11

Day 18
Competition File: typical questions: IV Other questions 11 to 22

Day 19
Objective Questions: Multiple choice: 1 to 25

Day 20
Objective Questions: Multiple choice: 26 to 50


Day 21
Fill in the blanks: 10
True or False: 10



Day 22
13B
13B (Ethers) Revision Exercises: Very Short Answer questions: 15

Day 23
13B (Ethers) Revision Exercises: Short Answer Questions : 18

Day 24
Competition File: Cyclic ethers

Day 25


Typical questions: 8

Day 26

Objective Questions: Multiple choice: 15

Day 27

True or False: 10

Day 28 to 30
Concept revision, reactions revision

Phenols - - Study Guide - IIT JEE

Preparation, properties and reactions

Characteristic reactions of

Acidity, electrophilic substitution reactions (halogenation, nitration and sulphonation); Reimer-Tieman reaction, Kolbe reaction.

IIT JEE Revision - Ch.29 Phenols - Core Points

JEE syllabus

Phenols:
Preparation, Physical and Chemical properties

specially highlighted topics

Acidity,
electrophilic substitution reactions (halogenation, nitration and sulphonation);
Reimer-Tieman reaction,
Kolbe reaction.
----------

Phenols are aromatic hydroxy compounds. In phenols, one or more hydroxyl group is directly attached to the aromatic (benzene) nucleus.

If OH group is not directly attached to be carbon atom in the benzene ring, but present in the molecule as a part of the alkyl side chain group, then the compound is not termed as phenol.It is called aromatic alcohol because it resembles aliphatic alcohols in its characteristics.

By decarboxylation of sodium salt of salicyclic acid

Fusion of sodium salicylate with soda lime (NaOH and CaO mixture).
sodium phenoxide is formed. This on acidification gives phenol.

State and smell: Phenols are colourless crystalline solids or liquids. They have characteristic phenolic odours.

Boiling points: Higher than the boiling points of the aromatic hydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses.


Bromination

Action of Bromine water on phenol: When phenol is treated with bromine water, it gets decolourised giving a white precipitate of 2,4,6, tribromophenol.

Action of Bromine in CS-2 on phenol:o-Bromophenol + p-Bromophenol mixture is obtained. p-Bromophenol is the major product.

Nitration

Action of dilute nitirc acid on phenol: a mixture of o-nitrophenol and p-nitrophenol is formed.

Action of conc. nitric acid in the presence of conc. sulphuric acid on phenol: 2,4,6-trinitrophenol is formed. This is picric acid.

Sulphonation

Action of conc. sulphuric acid at different temperatures on phenol:
Pheno reacts with conc. sulphuric acid to form a mixture of o-, and p-phenol sulphonic acid.
At low temperature about 288 to 293 K, o-phenol sulphonic acid is the main product formed.

At high temperature about 373 K, p-phenol sulphonic acid is the main product formed.



Acidity of Phenols

Phenols are weakly acidic in nature (Ka = 10^-10).
They turn blue litmus read and react with alkali metals and alkalies to form their salts.
The acidic character of phenol is due to polar OH bond.

Kolbe's reaction

When sodium phenoxide is heated with carbon dioxide at about 400K and under 4 ot 7 atmospheric pressure, sodium salicylate is formed as a major product. This on acidification gives salicylic acid. A small amount of para isomer is also obtained and if the temperature is allowed to rise above 410 K, the para isomer dominates.


Reimer-Tiemann reaction



When phenol is treated with choloroform and aqueous sodium hydroxide at 340 K follwoed by hydrolysis, an aldehydic group, -CHO group is introduced in the ring at a position ortho to the phenol group (OH group).

Ortho hydroxy benzaldehyde or salicylaldehyde is formed as the product of the reaction.

In addition, small amount of p-salicylaldehyde is also formed
In place of chloroform, carbon tetrachloride can be used. In this case o-salicylic acid is formed as the major product.

Phenols - Introduction, Nomenclature

Phenols are aromatic hydroxy compounds. In phenols, one or more hydroxyl group is directly attached to the aromatic (benzene) nucleus.

If OH group is not directly attached to be carbon atom in the benzene ring, but present in the molecule as a part of the alkyl side chain group, then the compound is not termed as phenol.It is called aromatic alcohol because it resembles aliphatic alcohols in its characteristics.

Phenols - Preparation

1. Alkali fusion of sodium benzene sulphonate

NaOH is fused with sodium benzene sulphonate at 573 - 623 K. sodium phenoxide is formed. This on acidification gives phenol.

2. From diazonium salts
An acqueous solution of benzene diazonium salt on warming gives phenol

3. By decarboxylation of sodium salt of salicyclic acid

Fusion of sodium salicylate with soda lime (NaOH and CaO mixture).
sodium phenoxide is formed. This on acidification gives phenol.


4. From Grignard reagent
When oxygen gas is bubbled through an ethereal solution of phenyl magnesium bromide (Grignard reagent RMgX), it forms an oxy compound which upon hydrolysis with dilute mineral acid gives phenol.

Commercial Preparation of Phenols

1. From chlorobenzene (Dow's Process)
Chlorobenzene is heated with 10% acqueous sodium hydroxide solution at about 623 K under 200 atmospheres and in the presence of copper salt acting as catalyst to form sodium phenoxide.

The sodium salt when treated with dilute HCl, gives phenol.

2. From cumene

Air or oxygen is passed through a suspension of cumene in acqueous sodium carbonate solution in presence of cobalt or manganese naphthenate catalyst. The oxidation product is cumene hydroperoxide.

The hydroperoxide is then decomposed by hot dilute sulphuric acid when phenol is formed with liberation of acetone.

3. From Benzene (Raschig's method)
Vapours of HCl are passed over benzene at 500 K in the presence of copper chloride and excess of air to form chlorobenzene.

Steam is then passed through chlorobenzene at 800 K in the presence of silica as catalyst to give phenol.

4. Phenol prepared using benzene and H2SO4

Benzene is heated with excess of concentrated sulphuric acid at about 388 K to give benzene sulphonic acid.

It is neutralized with sodium hydroxide solution, when sodium benzene sulphonate is obtained.

Dry sodium benzene sulphonate is next fused with excess of caustic soda at about 573 K when it yields sodium phenate (or sodium phenoxide).

Sodium phenate is decomposed by dilute sulphuric acid to give phenol.

***In many methods sodium phenoxide is formed first and from sodium phenoxide, phenol is obtained.

Phenols - Physical properties

State and smell: Phenols are colourless crystalline solids or liquids. They have characteristic phenolic odours.

Boiling points: Higher than the boiling points of the aromatic hydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses.

Phenols - Chemical Properties

Can be classified into three groups

A. Reactions of phenolic group (-OH group)
B. Reactions of benzene ring
C. Special reactions

A. Reactions of phenolic group (_OH group)

1.Acidic character:
They turn blue litmus red and react with alkali metals and alkalies to form their salts.

Phenol is weaker acid than carboxylic acid and stronger acid compared to alcohols.

2. Action with zinc dust
When heated with zinc dust, phenol is reduced to benzene.

3. Action with ammonia
Phenol reacts with ammonia in the presenceof anhydrous zinc chloride to give aniline.

4. Action with acid chlorides and acid anhydrides
Esters are formed.

5. Action with benzyl chloride
Phneol benzoate is formed. The reaction occurs in the presence of aqueous NaOH.
Reaction is named Schotten Baumann reaction

B. Reactions of benzene ring (Substitution)

Phenols undergo electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions. OH group is an activating group. Therefore the reactions with phenol occur at a faster rate than reaction with benzene. OH group directs the substituents to ortho and para positions.

Substituents

1a. Bromine Br in ortho and para positions 2,4,6-tribromophenol
1b. If the reaction is carried out in CS2 or CCl4, a mixture of ortho and para bromophenol is obtained.

2a. NO2 - Reaction of phenol with concentrated HNO3 in the presence of H2SO4 gives 2,4,6-trinitrophenol.

2,4,6-trinitrophenol is also termed picric acid.
2b. With dilute nitric acid phenol reacts at low temperature (293K) and gives a mixture of ortho and para nitrophenol.

3. NO – reaction with nitrous acid (NaNO2 + HCL) at low temperature (280 K) gives p-nitrosophenol (p indicates that NO is in para position to OH)). This reaction is called nitrosation.

4. SO3H – Phenol reacts with concentrated sulphuric acid to form a mixture of 0- and p-phenol sulphonic acid.

5. CH3 – When phenol is heated with alkyl halides in the presence of anhydrous chloride, CH3 becomes a substituent. The phenol with CH3 as a substituent is termed Cresol. O-cresol and p-cresol are formed. The reaction is called Friedel Craft reaction.

Special reactions of Phenol

1. Kolbe's reaction:
It is a reaction of sodium phenoxide.
When sodium phenoxide is heated with carbon dioxide at about 400 K and under 4 to 7 atm, sodium salicylate is formed as a major product. This on acidification gives salicylic acid.

2. Reimer-Tiemann reaction:
When phenol is refluxed with chloroform in the presence of acqueous sodium hydroxide at 340 K followed by hydrolysis, an aldehydic group (HC=O) gets introduced in the ring at a position ortho to the phenolic group. So ortho hydroxy bezaldehyde is formed. It is also called salicylaldehyde.

3. Coupling reaction
In the alkaline medium, an ice cold solution of phenol combines with an ice cold solution of benzene diazonium chloride to form azo dye.

4. Reaction with pthalic anhydride
Phenol reacts with phthalic anhydride in the presence of conc. H2So4 to give phenolphthalein.

5. Condensation with formaldehyde
Phenol condenses with formaldehyde in the presence of dil. Acid or alkali as catalyst to give a polymer called bakelite.

6. Hydrogenation
Phenol can be converted to cyclohexagonal in the presence of nickel catalyst at 430 K.

7. Oxidation
On exposure to air or chromic acid, phenol undergoes oxidation to p-benzoquinone. It is a pink coloured compound.

8. Reaction with ferric chloride
Phenols react with neutral ferric chloride to form coloured water soluble complex compounds.

9. Libermann's test
On warming with conc. H2SO4 and sodium nitrite, phenols give red or brown colouration. The colour changes to blue or green by the addition of aqueous NaOH.

Nitration of Phenol

Nitration

Action of dilute nitirc acid on phenol: a mixture of o-nitrophenol and p-nitrophenol is formed.

Action of conc. nitric acid in the presence of conc. sulphuric acid on phenol: 2,4,6-trinitrophenol is formed. This is picric acid.

Sulphonation of Phenol

Sulphonation

Action of conc. sulphuric acid at different temperatures on phenol:
Pheno reacts with conc. sulphuric acid to form a mixture of o-, and p-phenol sulphonic acid.
At low temperature about 288 to 293 K, o-phenol sulphonic acid is the main product formed.

At high temperature about 373 K, p-phenol sulphonic acid is the main product formed.

Acidity of Phenols

Acidity of Phenols

Phenols are weakly acidic in nature (Ka = 10^-10).
They turn blue litmus read and react with alkali metals and alkalies to form their salts.
The acidic character of phenol is due to polar OH bond.

Kolbe reaction Phenols

Kolbe's reaction

When sodium phenoxide is heated with carbon dioxide at about 400K and under 4 to 7 atmospheric pressure, sodium salicylate is formed as a major product. This on acidification gives salicylic acid. A small amount of para isomer is also obtained and if the temperature is allowed to rise above 410 K, the para isomer dominates.

Ch.29 Phenols - Core Points for Revision

JEE syllabus

Phenols:
Preparation, Physical and Chemical properties

specially highlighted topics

Acidity,
electrophilic substitution reactions (halogenation, nitration and sulphonation);
Reimer-Tieman reaction,
Kolbe reaction.
----------

Phenols are aromatic hydroxy compounds. In phenols, one or more hydroxyl group is directly attached to the aromatic (benzene) nucleus.

If OH group is not directly attached to be carbon atom in the benzene ring, but present in the molecule as a part of the alkyl side chain group, then the compound is not termed as phenol.It is called aromatic alcohol because it resembles aliphatic alcohols in its characteristics.

By decarboxylation of sodium salt of salicyclic acid

Fusion of sodium salicylate with soda lime (NaOH and CaO mixture).
sodium phenoxide is formed. This on acidification gives phenol.

State and smell: Phenols are colourless crystalline solids or liquids. They have characteristic phenolic odours.

Boiling points: Higher than the boiling points of the aromatic hydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses.


Bromination

Action of Bromine water on phenol: When phenol is treated with bromine water, it gets decolourised giving a white precipitate of 2,4,6, tribromophenol.

Action of Bromine in CS-2 on phenol:o-Bromophenol + p-Bromophenol mixture is obtained. p-Bromophenol is the major product.

Nitration

Action of dilute nitirc acid on phenol: a mixture of o-nitrophenol and p-nitrophenol is formed.

Action of conc. nitric acid in the presence of conc. sulphuric acid on phenol: 2,4,6-trinitrophenol is formed. This is picric acid.

Sulphonation

Action of conc. sulphuric acid at different temperatures on phenol:
Pheno reacts with conc. sulphuric acid to form a mixture of o-, and p-phenol sulphonic acid.
At low temperature about 288 to 293 K, o-phenol sulphonic acid is the main product formed.

At high temperature about 373 K, p-phenol sulphonic acid is the main product formed.



Acidity of Phenols

Phenols are weakly acidic in nature (Ka = 10^-10).
They turn blue litmus read and react with alkali metals and alkalies to form their salts.
The acidic character of phenol is due to polar OH bond.

Kolbe's reaction

When sodium phenoxide is heated with carbon dioxide at about 400K and under 4 ot 7 atmospheric pressure, sodium salicylate is formed as a major product. This on acidification gives salicylic acid. A small amount of para isomer is also obtained and if the temperature is allowed to rise above 410 K, the para isomer dominates.


Reimer-Tiemann reaction



When phenol is treated with choloroform and aqueous sodium hydroxide at 340 K follwoed by hydrolysis, an aldehydic group, -CHO group is introduced in the ring at a position ortho to the phenol group (OH group).

Ortho hydroxy benzaldehyde or salicylaldehyde is formed as the product of the reaction.

In addition, small amount of p-salicylaldehyde is also formed
In place of chloroform, carbon tetrachloride can be used. I this case o-salicylic acid is formed as the major product.

Study Guide TMH JEE Ch.29 Phenols

Topic JEE syllabus

Phenols:
Preparation, Physical and Chemical properties

specially highlighted topics

Acidity,
electrophilic substitution reactions (halogenation, nitration and sulphonation);
Reimer-Tieman reaction,
Kolbe reaction.
--------------------
Main Topics Covered in the TMH Book

METHODS OF PREPARATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
TEST FOR PHENOL
-------------------
Phenols: Introduction

Phenols are aromatic hydroxy compounds. In phenols, one or more hydroxyl group is directly attached to the aromatic (benzene) nucleus.

Phenols are also classified as monohydric, dihydric and trihydric or polyhydric as their molecules contain one, two, three or more OH groups.

Examples of Phenols

Monohydric

Phenol
2-Bromophenol
m-Cresol
p-Cresol

Dihydric

1,2-Dihydroxy benzene

Trihydric

1,2,3-Trihydroxy benzene


If OH group is not directly attached to be carbon atom in the benzene ring, but present in the molecule as a part of the alkyl side chain group, then the compound is not termed as phenol.

It is called aromatic alcohol because it resembles aliphatic alcohols in its characteristics.

Examples:

benzyl alcohol or Phenylmethanol
2-Phenylethanol

Nomenclature of Phenols

Common system

IUPAC system

All substituted phenols are named as derivatives of phenol.
The position of the substituents w.r.t.-OH group is indicated by Arabic numerals(with the carbon carrying-OH group being numbered 1).

Examples

2-Methyl phenol - Methyl group CH3 is present adjacent to OH group in phenol.
3-Methyl phenol - Methyl group CH3 is present in third position when OH group position is counted as 1 in phenol.
2-Bromophenol - Bromine is present adjacent to OH group in phenol.
--------------------
JEE 2006

7. The IUPAC name of C-6H-5COCl is

(A) Benzoyl chloride
(B) Benzene chloro ketone
(C) Benzene carbonyl chloride
(D) Chloro phenyl ketone

Solution (C)
---------------------

Phenols: Methods of Preparation

1. Alkali fusion of sodium benzene sulphonate

NaOH is fused with sodium benzene sulphonate at 573 - 623 K, sodium phenoxide is formed. This on acidification gives phenol.

2. From diazonium salts
An acqueous solution of benzene diazonium salt on warming gives phenol

3. By decarboxylation of sodium salt of salicyclic acid

Fusion of sodium salicylate with soda lime (NaOH and CaO mixture).
sodium phenoxide is formed. This on acidification gives phenol.


4. From Grignard reagent
when oxygen gas is bubbled through an ethereal solution of phenyl magnesium bromide (Grignard reagent RMgX), if forms an oxy compound which upon hydrolysis with dilute mineral acid gives phenol.

Commercial Preparation of Phenols

1. From chlorobenzene (Dow's Process)
Chlorobenzene is heated with 10% acqueous sodium hydroxide solution at about 623 K under 200 atmospheres andin the presence of copper salt acting as catalyst to form sodium phenoxide. The sodium salt when treated with dilute HCl, gives phenol.
2. From cumene

Air or oxygen is passed through a suspension of cumene in acqueous sodium carbonate solution in presence of cobalt or manganese naphthenate catalyst. The oxidation product is cumene hydroperoxide.

The hydroperoxide is then decomposed by hot dilute sulphuric acid when phenol is formed withliberation of acetone. Acetone is removed from phenol by distillation.

3. From Benzene (Raschig's method)
Vapours of HCl are passed over benzene at 500 K in the presence of copper chloride and excess of air to form chlorobenzene. Steam is then passed through chlorobenzene at 800 K in the presence of silica as catalyst to give phenol.

4. Phenol prepared using benzene and H2SO4

Benzene is heated with excess of concentrated sulphuric acid at about 388 K to give benzene sulphonic acid.
It is neutralized with sodium hydroxide solution, when sodium benzene sulphonate is obtained.
Dry sodium benzene sulphonate is next fused with excess of caustic soda at about 573 K when it yields sodium phenate (or sodium phenoxide).
Sodium phenate is decomposed by dilute sulphuric acid to give phenol.


Physical properties

1. State and smell: Phenols are colourless crystalline solids or liquids. They have characteristic phenolic odours.

2. solubility: Phenols are sparingly soluble in water

3. Boiling points: Higher than the boiling points of the aromatic hydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses.

BP of phenol (mol. mass = 94) is 455 K while that of toluene (mol mass = 92) is 384 K. This higher BP is due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding in phenols.

Chemical properties

Can be classified into three groups

A. Reactions of phenolic group (_OH group)
B. Reactions of benzene ring
C. Special reactions

A. Reactions of phenolic group (_OH group)

1. Action with zinc dust
2. Action with ammonia
3. Action with acid chlorides and acid anhydrides
4. Action with benzyl chloride

B. Reactions of benzene ring

1. Bromination

Action of Bromine water on phenol: When phenol is treated with bromine water, it gets decolourised giving a white precipitate of 2,4,6, tribromophenol.

Action of Bromine in CS-2 on phenol:o-Bromophenol + p-Bromophenol mixture is obtained. p-Bromophenol is the major product.

2. Nitration

Action of dilute nitirc acid on phenol: a mixture of o-nitrophenol and p-nitrophenol is formed.

Action of conc. nitric acid in the presence of conc. sulphuric acid on phenol: 2,4,6-trinitrophenol is formed. This is picric acid.

3. Nitrosation
The reaction which involves the substitution by nitroso grou (-NO) is called nitrosation.

Phenol reacts with nitrous acid (NaNO2 + HCl) at low temperature (280 K) to form p-nitrosophenol. It can be further oxidized with dil HNO3 to give p-nitrophenol.

4. Sulphonation: Covered as a special topic

5. Alkylation

Special reactions of Phenol

1. Kolbe's reaction: special topic
2. Reimer-Tiemann reaction: special topic
3. coupling reaction
4. Reaction with pthalic anhydride
5. Condensation with formaldehyde
6. Hydrogenation
7. Oxidation
8. Reaction with ferric chloride
9. Libermann's test

Topics specially highlighted in the JEE syllabus

Acidity of Phenols

Phenols are weakly acidic in nature (Ka = 10^-10).
They turn blue litmus read and react with alkali metals and alkalies to form their salts.
The acidic character of phenol is due to polar OH bond.

Phenol is weaker acid than carboxylic acid.
Like carboxylic, it also does not react with sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate.
Phenols are more acidic than alcohols.

Phenol is a resonance hybrid of 5 structures. Three of the structures develop +charge on oxygen and facilitate release of H+.

Phenoxide ion which results when H+ is released from phenol is also a resonance hybrid but it is more stable than phenol. Hence the reaction is in favour of phenoxide ion. Therefore phenol is acidic and more acidic than alcohols.

Halogenation of Phenols (electrophylic substitution reaction)

The reaction does not require a lewis acid catalyst. Benzene requires a lewis acid catalyst for halogenation.

Bromine in CS2 reacts with phenol to give 4-Bromophenol(?)
Chlorine at high temperatures react with phenol to give 4-chlorophenol(?)

See http://clem.mscd.edu/~wiederm/oc2chp/oc2chpphenols/page3.htm

You can download a chapter on phenols from
http://www.diacritech.com/samples/science_and_medical/chemistry.pdf

Phenols are readily brominated in an aqueous solution forming 2, 4, 6-tribromophenol. This is a white precipitate.

Mostly p-bromophenol is obtained along with ortho bromophenol by treatment
of phenol with bromine in CCl4 or CS2.

Treatment of phenols with aqueous solutions of bromine results in replacement
of every hydrogen ortho or para to the -OH group. Bromination may
even cause displacement of certain other groups to yield tribromophenol.

Nitration of phenols

Action of dilute nitirc acid on phenol: a mixture of o-nitrophenol and p-nitrophenol is formed.

Action of conc. nitric acid in the presence of conc. sulphuric acid on phenol: 2,4,6-trinitrophenol is formed. This is picric acid.

Sulphonation

Action of conc. sulphuric acid at different temperatures on phenol:
Pheno reacts with conc. sulphuric acid to form a mixture of o-, and p-phenol sulphonic acid.
At low temperature about 288 to 293 K, o-phenol sulphonic acid is the main product formed.

At high temperature about 373 K, p-phenol sulphonic acid is the main product formed.

o-phenol sulphonic acid: IUPAC name is 2-Hydroxy benzene sulphonic acid

p-phenol sulphonic acid : IUPAC name is 4-Hydroxy benzene sulphonic acid


--------------------
JEE Question 2006

When benzene sulfonic acid and p-nitrophenol are treated with NaHCO-3, the gases released respectively are
(A) SO-2, NO-2 (B) SO-2, NO
(C) SO-2, CO-2 (D) CO-2, CO-2

Answer: D
------------------------------

Kolbe's reaction

When sodium phenoxide is heated with carbon dioxide at about 400K and under 4 ot 7 atmospheric pressure, sodium salicylate is formed as a major product. This on acidification gives salicylic acid. A small amount of para isomer is also obtained and if the temperature is allowed to rise above 410 K, the para isomer dominates.


Reimer-Tiemann reaction



When phenol is treated with choloroform and aqueous sodium hydroxide at 340 K follwoed by hydrolysis, an aldehydic group, -CHO group is introduced in the ring at a position ortho to the phenol group (OH group).

Ortho hydroxy benzaldehyde or salicylaldehyde is formed as the product of the reaction.

In addition, small amount of p-salicylaldehyde is also formed
In place of chloroform, carbon tetrachloride can be used. I this case o-salicylic acid is formed as the major product.






Some more material in Q&A form





Action of Bromine water on phenol

when phenol is treated with bromine water, it gets decolourised giving a white precipitate of 2,4,6, tribromophenol.

phenol prepared using benzene sulphonic acid?

It is neutralized with sodium hydroxide solution, when sodium benzene sulphonate is obtained. Dry sodium benzene sulphonate is next fused with excess of caustic soda at about 573 K when it yields sodium phenate (or sodium phenoxide). Sodium phenate is decomposed by dilute sulphuric acid to give phenol.



action of dilute nitirc acid on phenol?

a mixture of o-nitrophenol and p-nitrophenol is formed.

phenol prepared using chlorobenzene?

By (i) Dow's Process
(ii) Rasching process

action of conc. nitric acid in the presence of conc. sulphuric acid on phenol?

2,4,6-trinitrophenol is formed. This is picric acid.

phenol prepared using cumene?

Air or oxygen is passed through a suspension of cumene in acqueous sodium carbonate solution in presence of cobalt or manganese naphthenate catalyst. The oxidation product is cumene hydroperoxide.

The hydroperoxide is then decomposed by hot dilute sulphuric acid when phenol is formed withliberation of acetone. Acetone is removed from phenol by distillation.


action of Bromine in CS-2 on phenol?

o-Bromophenol + p-Bromophenol mixture is obtained. p-Bromophenol is the major product.

test to distinguish between phenol and ethanol?

Alcohol react with metal sodium to form alkoxide, liberating hydrogen. Phenol does not react with metal sodium.

action of conc. sulphuric acid at different temperatures on phenol?
At low temperature about 288 to 293 K, o-phenol sulphonic acid is formed.

At high temperature about 373 K, p-phenol sulphonic acid is formed.

obtaining from carbolic acid, picric acid?

Phenol is also called carbolic acid.
When phenol is treated with concentrated nitric acid in the presence of concentrated sulhuric acid, 2,4,6-trinitrophenol is formed.


using ferric chloride to distinguish between phenol and alcohol?
alcohol does not show any colouration with FeCl-3.
Phenol give violet colouration with ferric chlordie.

obtaining 2,4,6-tribromophenol from carbolic acid?



Differences in physical properties among p-nitrophenol, o-nitrophenol and m-nitrophenol?

o-nitrophenol has a much lower boiling point, much lower solubility in water than its isomers.

These differences occur because o-nitrophenol involves intramolecular hydrogen bonding. the boiling point os o-nitrophenol is low because it exists as a monomolecule.

the solubility of m- and p- isomers is due to their ability to form hydrogen bonding with water.



Williamson synthesis?

Phenols reacting with alkyl halides to yield ethers in alkaline medium.

Fries rearrangement?

When esters of phenols are heated with AlCl-3, the acyl group migrates from the phenolic oxygen to an ortho or para position of the ring producing a ketone.

Action of nitrous acid on phenol?

Nitrous acid converts phenol to nitrosophenol.

Reimer-Tiemann reaction?

When phenol is treated with cholorom and aqueous sodium hydroxide, a -CHO group is introduced in the ring.

Schotten-baumann reaction?

The reaction of phenol with benzoyl chloride.
This will produce phenylbenzoate.


Phenols do not react with sodium.

Are phenols soluble in sodium bicarbonate solution?

Phenols are not soluble in sodium bicarbonate solution. There are soluble in sodium hydroxide solution.

what happens when phenol is exposed to air?
On exposure to air it turns to pink due to oxidation.

What is picric acid?

2,4,6-trinitrophenol

What is cresol?
The methylphenols are cresols. Both OH and NO-2 are attached to benzene.
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JEE Question 2006

When benzene sulfonic acid and p-nitrophenol are treated with NaHCO-3, the gases released respectively are
(A) SO-2, NO-2 (B) SO-2, NO
(C) SO-2, CO-2 (D) CO-2, CO-2

Answer: D
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JEE 2006

7. The IUPAC name of C-6H-5COCl is

(A) Benzoyl chloride
(B) Benzene chloro ketone
(C) Benzene carbonyl chloride
(D) Chloro phenyl ketone

Solution (C)
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