Physical Properties of Phenols
1. These are colourless liquids or crystalline solids but become coloured due to slow oxidation with air.
2. Phenol is also called carbolic acid.
3. Because of the presence of polar-OH bond, phenols form intermolecular H-bonding with other phenol molecules and with water.
Chemical Reactions of Alcohols and Phenols
( i) Reactions involving cleavage of O – H Bond( a) Acidity of alcohols and phenols
Alcohols are weaker acids than water due to + 1 group present in alcohols, which decreases the polarity of-O-H bond.
Acid strength of alcohol
Electron releasing group increases electron density on oxygen to decrease the polarity of – OH bond.