wht is phenol?

Answer 1

phenol is aromatic hydroxy compound in which one hydroxy group is directly attached to aromatic ring (benzene) .its molecular formula is C6H50H based on position of attachment of the OH group phenols are given different name like ortho meta and para .if oh group is attached to carbon no 1 or 4 it is named as PARA(p) . if its position is 2 and6 then it is named as ORTHO (o) . if its position is 3 and 5 then it is named as META (m) now i cannot draw structural formulaes over here

Answer 2

The simplest member of a class of organic compounds possessing a hydroxyl group attached to a benzene ring or to a more complex aromatic ring system. Phenol itself, C6H5OH, may also be called hydroxybenzene or carbolic acid. Pure phenol is a colorless solid melting at 42°C (108°F), moderately soluble in water, and weakly acidic (pK 9.9).

Phenol has broad biocidal properties, and dilute aqueous solutions have long been used as an antiseptic. At higher concentrations phenol causes severe skin burns; it is a violent systemic poison.

Phenol has the structure shown. Simple substituted phenols, such as the three isomeric chlorophenols, are named as indicated, using the ortho (o), meta (m), and para (p) prefixes. In more highly substituted phenols the positions of substitution are indicated by numbers (as in 2,4-dichlorophenol). Compounds with more than one hydroxyl group per aromatic ring are known as polyhydric phenols, and include catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, phloroglucinol, and pyrogallol.

Until World War I phenol was essentially a natural coal tar product. However, synthetic methods have replaced extraction from natural sources. There are many possible syntheses.

Phenol is one of the most versatile and important industrial organic chemicals. It is the starting point for many diverse products used in the home and industry. A partial list includes: nylon, epoxy resins, surface active agents, synthetic detergents, plasticizers, antioxidants, lube oil additives, phenolic resins (with formaldehyde, furfural, and so on), polyurethanes, aspirin, dyes, wood preservatives, herbicides, drugs, fungicides, gasoline additives, inhibitors, explosives, and pesticides..

Answer 3

Phenol is a poisonous acidic compound obtained from coal tar or benzene and used mainly as a disinfectant or antiseptic, carbolic acid; any hydroxyl derivative of benzene

Answer 4

(ALL ABOUT PHENOL U WANNA KNOW)

Phenol, also known under an older name of carbolic acid, is a colourless crystalline solid with a typical sweet tarry odor. Its chemical formula is C6H5OH and its structure is that of a hydroxyl group (-OH) bonded to a phenyl ring; it is thus an aromatic compound.

(More about Phenol)
In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest of the class is phenol (C6H5OH).
Phenol - the simplest of the phenols.
Enlarge
Phenol - the simplest of the phenols.

Although similar to alcohols, phenols have unique properties and are not classified as alcohols (since the hydroxyl group is not bonded to a saturated carbon atom). They have relatively higher acidities due to the aromatic ring tightly coupling with the oxygen and a relatively loose bond between the oxygen and hydrogen. The acidity of the hydroxyl group in phenols is commonly intermediate between that of aliphatic alcohols and carboxylic acids (their pKa is usually comprised between 10 and 12). Loss of a positive hydrogen ion (H+) from the hydroxyl group of a phenol forms a negative phenolate ion.

Some phenols are germicidal and are used in formulating disinfectants. Others possess estrogenic or endocrine disrupting activity.

(Properties)

Phenol has a limited solubility in water (8.3 g/100 ml). It is slightly acidic: the phenol molecule has weak tendencies to lose the H+ ion from the hydroxyl group, resulting in the highly water-soluble phenoxide anion C6H5O−. Compared to aliphatic alcohols, phenol shows much higher acidity; it even reacts with NaOH to lose H+ whereas aliphatic alcohols do not. This is due to orbital overlap between the oxygen's lone pairs and the aromatic system, which delocalizes the negative charge throughout the ring and stabilizes the anion. This effect is attenuated, however, due to oxygen's relatively high electronegativity. [1]

(Production)

Phenol can be made from the partial oxidation of benzene or benzoic acid, by the cumene process, or by the Raschig process. It can also be found as a product of coal oxidation.

(Uses)

Phenol has antiseptic properties, and was used by Sir Joseph Lister in his pioneering technique of antiseptic surgery, though the skin irritation caused by continual exposure to phenol eventually led to the substitution of aseptic (germ-free) techniques in surgery. It is one of the main components of the commercial antiseptic TCP (trichlorophenol). It is also the active ingredient in some oral anesthetics such as Chloraseptic spray.

It is also used in the production of drugs (it is the starting material in the industrial production of aspirin), weedkiller, and synthetic resins (Bakelite, one of the first synthetic resins to be manufactured, is a polymer of phenol with formaldehyde). Exposure of the skin to concentrated phenol solutions causes chemical burns which may be severe; in laboratories where it is used, it is usually recommended that polyethylene glycol solution is kept available for washing off splashes. Washing with large amounts of plain water (most labs have a safety shower or eye-wash) and removal of contaminated clothing are required, and immediate ER treatment for large splashes; particularly if the phenol is mixed with chloroform (a commonly used mixture in molecular biology for DNA purification). Notwithstanding the effects of concentrated solutions, it is also used in cosmetic surgery as an exfoliant, to remove layers of dead skin. It is also used in phenolization, a surgical procedure used to treat an ingrown nail, in which it is applied to the toe to prevent regrowth of nails.

Injections of phenol have occasionally been used as a means of rapid execution.

Phenol was also used as a means of extermination by the Nazis during the Second World War. Phenol injections were given to thousands of people in concentration camps, especially at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Injections were administered either by medical doctors or by their assistants; such injections were originally given intravenously, more commonly in the arm, but injection directly into the heart, so as to induce nearly instant death, was later preferred.

Answer 5

(ABOUT PHENOL)

Phenol, also known under an older name of carbolic acid, is a colourless crystalline solid with a typical sweet tarry odor. Its chemical formula is C6H5OH and its structure is that of a hydroxyl group (-OH) bonded to a phenyl ring; it is thus an aromatic compound.

(More about Phenol)
In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest of the class is phenol (C6H5OH).
Phenol - the simplest of the phenols.
Enlarge
Phenol - the simplest of the phenols.

Although similar to alcohols, phenols have unique properties and are not classified as alcohols (since the hydroxyl group is not bonded to a saturated carbon atom). They have relatively higher acidities due to the aromatic ring tightly coupling with the oxygen and a relatively loose bond between the oxygen and hydrogen. The acidity of the hydroxyl group in phenols is commonly intermediate between that of aliphatic alcohols and carboxylic acids (their pKa is usually comprised between 10 and 12). Loss of a positive hydrogen ion (H+) from the hydroxyl group of a phenol forms a negative phenolate ion.

Some phenols are germicidal and are used in formulating disinfectants. Others possess estrogenic or endocrine disrupting activity.

(Properties)

Phenol has a limited solubility in water (8.3 g/100 ml). It is slightly acidic: the phenol molecule has weak tendencies to lose the H+ ion from the hydroxyl group, resulting in the highly water-soluble phenoxide anion C6H5O−. Compared to aliphatic alcohols, phenol shows much higher acidity; it even reacts with NaOH to lose H+ whereas aliphatic alcohols do not. This is due to orbital overlap between the oxygen's lone pairs and the aromatic system, which delocalizes the negative charge throughout the ring and stabilizes the anion. This effect is attenuated, however, due to oxygen's relatively high electronegativity. [1]

(Production)

Phenol can be made from the partial oxidation of benzene or benzoic acid, by the cumene process, or by the Raschig process. It can also be found as a product of coal oxidation.

(Uses)

Phenol has antiseptic properties, and was used by Sir Joseph Lister in his pioneering technique of antiseptic surgery, though the skin irritation caused by continual exposure to phenol eventually led to the substitution of aseptic (germ-free) techniques in surgery. It is one of the main components of the commercial antiseptic TCP (trichlorophenol). It is also the active ingredient in some oral anesthetics such as Chloraseptic spray.

It is also used in the production of drugs (it is the starting material in the industrial production of aspirin), weedkiller, and synthetic resins (Bakelite, one of the first synthetic resins to be manufactured, is a polymer of phenol with formaldehyde). Exposure of the skin to concentrated phenol solutions causes chemical burns which may be severe; in laboratories where it is used, it is usually recommended that polyethylene glycol solution is kept available for washing off splashes. Washing with large amounts of plain water (most labs have a safety shower or eye-wash) and removal of contaminated clothing are required, and immediate ER treatment for large splashes; particularly if the phenol is mixed with chloroform (a commonly used mixture in molecular biology for DNA purification). Notwithstanding the effects of concentrated solutions, it is also used in cosmetic surgery as an exfoliant, to remove layers of dead skin. It is also used in phenolization, a surgical procedure used to treat an ingrown nail, in which it is applied to the toe to prevent regrowth of nails.

Injections of phenol have occasionally been used as a means of rapid execution.

Phenol was also used as a means of extermination by the Nazis during the Second World War. Phenol injections were given to thousands of people in concentration camps, especially at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Injections were administered either by medical doctors or by their assistants; such injections were originally given intravenously, more commonly in the arm, but injection directly into the heart, so as to induce nearly instant death, was later preferred. [2]

Phenols are extremely harmful to cats. [3]

Answer 6

phenol is aromatic compound which show resonance. its chemical formula is C6H5OH. it show acidic nature.

Answer 7

a comprehensive answer on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenol

Answer 8

http://www.google.com