Phenol
Phenol is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group (−C6H5) bonded to a hydroxy group (−OH). Mildly acidic, it requires careful handling because it can cause chemical burns.
Phenol was first extracted from coal tar, but today is produced on a large scale (about 7 billion kg/year) from petroleum-derived feedstocks. It is an important industrial commodity as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds.[8] It is primarily used to synthesize plastics and related materials. Phenol and its chemical derivatives are essential for production of polycarbonates, epoxies, Bakelite, nylon, detergents, herbicides such as phenoxy herbicides, and numerous pharmaceutical drugs.
Phenol is an organic compound appreciably soluble in water, with about 84.2 g dissolving in 1000 mL (0.895 M). Homogeneous mixtures of phenol and water at phenol to water mass ratios of ~2.6 and higher are possible. The sodium salt of phenol, sodium phenoxide, is far more water-soluble.
| Properties | |
|---|---|
| Chemical formula | C6H6O |
| Molar mass | 94.113 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | Transparent crystalline solid |
| Density | 1.07 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 40.5 °C (104.9 °F; 313.6 K) |
| Boiling point | 181.7 °C (359.1 °F; 454.8 K) |
| Solubility in water | 8.3 g/100 mL (20 °C) |
| log P | 1.48[2] |
| Vapor pressure | 0.4 mmHg (20 °C)[3] |
| Acidity (pKa) | 9.95 (in water), 29.1 (in acetonitrile)[4] |
| Conjugate base | Phenoxide |
| UV-vis | 270.75 nm[5] |
| Dipole moment | 1.224 D |