1)Describe the structural differences that make the chemical properties of phenols somewhat different from the chemical properties of alcohols.
2) What is the main structural difference between an alcohol or phenol and an ether? How doe this affect the reactivity of an ether?
Solution
1) Phenol is OH group attached to benzene ring , alcohols are OH group attached to carbon chain. Phenols are more acidic than alcohols since benzene ring creates acidic nature of OH group . Phenols have higher boiling points compared to alcohols.
2) ether has C-O-C linkage while alcohols ( or phenols) have C-OH . ethers are non polar ( slightly polar) while alcohols have polar OH groups. This makes alcohols more reactive and alcohols have higher boiling points compared to ethers.
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1)Describe the structural differences that make the chemical propertie.docx
1. 1)Describe the structural differences that make the chemical properties of phenols somewhat
different from the chemical properties of alcohols.
2) What is the main structural difference between an alcohol or phenol and an ether? How doe
this affect the reactivity of an ether?
Solution
1) Phenol is OH group attached to benzene ring , alcohols are OH group attached to carbon
chain. Phenols are more acidic than alcohols since benzene ring creates acidic nature of OH
group . Phenols have higher boiling points compared to alcohols.
2) ether has C-O-C linkage while alcohols ( or phenols) have C-OH . ethers are non polar (
slightly polar) while alcohols have polar OH groups. This makes alcohols more reactive
and alcohols have higher boiling points compared to ethers.
