Alcohols and Phenols Overview

Alcohols and Phenols

• Alcohols are organic compounds containing a hydroxyl (-OH) functional group attached to a carbon atom.
• Phenols are aromatic compounds with a hydroxyl group directly attached to the aromatic ring.
• Different types of alcohols are named based on the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.

Examples of Alcohols

• Methanol (methyl alcohol)
• Ethanol (ethyl alcohol)
• 1-propanol (n-propyl alcohol)
• 2-propanol (isopropyl alcohol)
• 1-butanol (n-butyl alcohol)
• 2-butanol (sec-butyl alcohol)
• 2-methyl-1-propanol (isobutyl alcohol)
• 2-methyl-2-propanol (tert-butyl alcohol)
• 2-propen-1-ol (allyl alcohol)
• Cyclohexanol (cyclohexyl alcohol)
• Phenylmethanol (benzyl alcohol)

Examples of Phenols

• Phenol
• p-chlorophenol
• 2,4,6-tribromophenol
• m-hydroxybenzoic acid
• p-hydroxybenzaldehyde
• p-nitrophenol

Physical Properties of Alcohols

• Boiling points of alcohols increase with increasing molecular weight, because of stronger intermolecular forces (hydrogen bonding)
• Lower alcohols are completely miscible in water, while higher alcohols have decreased solubility in water.

Acidity of Alcohols and Phenols

• Alcohols are weakly acidic, while phenols are more acidic.
• The negative charge on the alkoxide ion in alcohols is localized to the oxygen atom.
• The negative charge on the phenoxide ion in phenols is delocalized over the ring.

Reactions of Alcohols

• Reaction with sodium metal produces sodium alkoxide and hydrogen gas
• Reaction with sodium hydride produces sodium alkoxide and hydrogen gas
• Reaction with hydrogen halides (HCl, HBr, HI) produces alkyl halides.
• Reaction with phosphorus halides (PCl₃, PBr₃) generates alkyl halides.
• Reaction with thionyl chloride produces alkyl halides.

Oxidation of Alcohols

• Primary alcohol can be oxidized to an aldehyde, then to a carboxylic acid.
• Secondary alcohols can be oxidized to ketones.

Other Reactions

• Reactions of alcohols with nitric acid (to produce esters)
• Conversions of alcohols (to form derivatives)
• Reactions with various reagents

Dive into the fascinating world of alcohols and phenols with this quiz. Explore the definitions, examples, and physical properties of these organic compounds. Test your knowledge on different types of alcohols and their key characteristics.