Which reagent is used to convert phenol to phenyl ether?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which reagent is used to convert phenol to phenyl ether?
Sodium hydroxide
Sodium phenoxide
Bromine
Hydrochloric acid
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which reagent is used to convert phenol to phenyl ether?
Step 1: Start with phenol, which is a compound that has a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a benzene ring.
Step 2: To convert phenol to phenyl ether, first, you need to create sodium phenoxide. This is done by reacting phenol with sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
Step 3: Sodium phenoxide is formed when the hydroxyl group of phenol reacts with sodium, replacing the hydrogen atom with sodium.
Step 4: Now, take the sodium phenoxide and react it with an alkyl halide (like bromoethane or iodomethane).
Step 5: In this reaction, the sodium phenoxide acts as a nucleophile, meaning it donates a pair of electrons to form a bond with the alkyl halide.
Step 6: This reaction is a nucleophilic substitution, where the halide (like bromine or iodine) is replaced by the phenoxy group, resulting in the formation of phenyl ether.