4-Phenylphenol is an
organic compound
Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...
with the formula . It is one of three isomers of hydroxy
biphenyl
Biphenyl (also known as diphenyl, phenylbenzene, 1,1′-biphenyl, lemonene or BP) is an organic compound that forms colorless crystals. Particularly in older literature, compounds containing the functional group consisting of biphenyl less one ...
.
Production
4-Phenylphenol is produced as a byproduct in the conversion of
chlorobenzene
Chlorobenzene (abbreviated PhCl) is an aryl chloride and the simplest of the chlorobenzenes, consisting of a benzene ring substituted with one chlorine atom. Its chemical formula is C6H5Cl. This colorless, flammable liquid is a common solvent a ...
to
phenol
Phenol (also known as carbolic acid, phenolic acid, or benzenol) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile and can catch fire.
The molecule consists of a phenyl group () ...
with base. It can also be obtain by
sulfonation
In organic chemistry, aromatic sulfonation is a reaction in which a hydrogen atom on an arene is replaced by a sulfonic acid () group. Together with nitration and chlorination, aromatic sulfonation is a widely used electrophilic aromatic substi ...
of
biphenyl
Biphenyl (also known as diphenyl, phenylbenzene, 1,1′-biphenyl, lemonene or BP) is an organic compound that forms colorless crystals. Particularly in older literature, compounds containing the functional group consisting of biphenyl less one ...
to give
4-biphenylsulfonic acid, which can be hydrolyzed.
[
Of academic interest, 4-phenylphenol can be obtained from the ]Suzuki coupling
The Suzuki reaction or Suzuki coupling is an organic reaction that uses a palladium complex catalyst to cross-couple a boronic acid to an organohalide. It was first published in 1979 by Akira Suzuki, and he shared the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemis ...
of phenylboronic acid with 4-iodophenol
4-Iodophenol (''p''-iodophenol) is an aromatic organic compound. A colorless solid, it is one of three monoiodophenols. 4-Iodophenol undergoes a variety of coupling reactions in which the iodine substituent is replaced by a new carbon group ''Aren ...
in the presence of 10% palladium on carbon and potassium carbonate.
Properties
4-Phenylphenol is a flammable, difficult to ignite, white, scaly solid with a phenol-like odor that is very slightly soluble in water.
References
4-Hydroxyphenyl compounds
Biphenyls
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