Phenols

Phenols are organic compounds that have an aromatic ring of carbon atoms linked to a hydroxyl (-OH) group. Ar-OH is the designation for phenols. It can be divided into mono-, di-, tri-, or polyhydric phenols depending on how many hydroxyl groups are joined to the aryl group. 

When the -OH group replaces the hydrogen atom in a benzene molecule, phenol is created.

Classification of Phenols

Phenols are divided into three groups according to the number of attached hydroxyl groups, 

• Monohydric phenols – The phenols having a single -OH group in the compound are termed Monohydric phenols.
• Dihydric phenols – The phenols having two -OH groups, either the “ortho-,” “meta-” or “para-” derivatives in the compound, are termed as Dihydric phenols. 
• Trihydric phenols – The phenols having three -OH groups in the compound are termed Trihydric phenols.

IUPAC Nomenclature of Phenols

Similar to how the names for aliphatic alcohols are generated, the IUPAC term for phenol is hydroxybenzene. It is usually referred to as carbolic acid.

• The presence and number of the hydroxyl group linked to the benzene ring are specified.
• If more than one hydroxyl group is present, then numerical prefixes such as di, tri, and tetra denote the number of similar hydroxyl groups attached to the benzene ring.

• The various functional groups in substituted phenols are numbered according to the position at which the hydroxyl group is added.
• The nomenclature of phenols also uses terms like -ortho, which means that a functional group is attached to the adjacent carbon atom to which a -OH group is attached. -meta, which means that a functional group is attached to the second carbon atom from the hydroxyl group, and -para, which means that a functional group is attached to the third carbon atom from the hydroxyl group.

Common system: The prefix ortho (o-), meta (m-), and para (p-) are used in the common system to denote the position of the substituent relative to the -OH group on the benzene ring.

Alcohols Ethers and Phenols are the categories of organic compounds. These compounds are used extensively in a variety of household businesses. Alcohol is created when the hydroxyl (-OH) group forms a bond with the saturated carbon atom. Ether is created when alcohol is dehydrated. These are the classes of organic compounds that are used in a variety of residential and industrial environments.