Varying electronegativity of OH/O- groups depending on the nature and strength of H-bonding in phenol/phenolate

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From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
06:44

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding

Published on: March 24, 2018

Tadeusz M Krygowski1, Halina Szatyłowicz

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Warsaw University, Poland.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|June 2, 2006
PubMed

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Like water, alcohols are weak acids and bases. This is attributed to the polarization of the O–H bond making the hydrogen partially positive. Moreover, the electron pairs on the oxygen atom of alcohol make it both basic and nucleophilic. Protonation of an alcohol converts hydroxide, a poor leaving group, into water—a good one. The two acid–base equilibria corresponding to ethanol are depicted below.
Physical Properties of Alcohols and Phenols02:32

Physical Properties of Alcohols and Phenols

Alcohols are organic compounds in which a hydroxy group is attached to a saturated carbon. Phenols are a class of alcohols containing a hydroxy group attached to an aromatic ring. The physical properties of the alcohols and phenols are influenced by hydrogen bonding due to the oxygen–hydrogen dipole in the hydroxy functional group and dispersion forces between alkyl or aryl regions of alcohol and phenol molecules.
Alcohols possess a higher boiling point than aliphatic hydrocarbons of similar...
Structure and Nomenclature of Alcohols and Phenols02:23

Structure and Nomenclature of Alcohols and Phenols

Overview
Alcohols are one of the most important functional groups in organic chemistry. The name of alcohol comes from the hydrocarbon from which it is derived. Alcohols are organic molecules containing the functional hydroxyl or –OH group directly bonded to carbon. Phenols have an OH group directly attached to a benzene ring. While alcohols are colorless, phenol is a white crystalline compound with a characteristic "hospital smell" odor.
As with other organic compounds, alcohols and phenols...
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Electrophiles

This lesson explains the definition, classification, and characteristic features of an electrophile that are key features of nucleophilic substitution reactions. An analysis of their charge and orbital picture helps understand their reactivity for seeking electrons. Electrophiles can be classified into positive and neutral species. Other classes include free radicals and polar functional groups.
While a positive electrophile, like a proton, reacts due to its vacant, low-energy 1s orbital, the...
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IR Spectrum Peak Broadening: Hydrogen Bonding

The vibrational frequency of a bond is directly proportional to its bond strength. As a result, stronger bonds vibrate at higher frequencies, while weaker bonds vibrate at lower frequencies. The stretching vibration of the strong O–H bond in alcohols and phenols (very dilute solution or gas phase) appears as a sharp peak at 3600–3650 cm−1.
However, the extent of hydrogen bonding influences the observed stretching frequency and band broadening. Intermolecular or intramolecular hydrogen bonding...
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ortho–para-Directing Activators: –CH3, –OH, –⁠NH2, –OCH3

All ortho–para directors, excluding halogens, are activating groups. These groups donate electrons to the ring, making the ring carbons electron-rich. Consequently, the reactivity of the aromatic ring towards electrophilic substitution increases. For instance, the nitration of anisole is about 10,000 times faster than the nitration of benzene. The electron-donating effect of the methoxy group in anisole activates the ortho and para positions on the ring and stabilizes the corresponding...