Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers

Introduction:
Detergents, antiseptics, and scents are all made up of three basic compounds: Alcohols, Phenols, and Ethers.
You've learned that replacing one or more hydrogen atoms in a hydrocarbon with another atom or a group of atoms produces a totally new chemical with entirely different properties and applications. When a hydrogen atom in an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon is replaced by a –OH group, alcohols and phenols are produced. These types of chemicals have a wide range of applications in both business and everyday life.

Have you ever noted that ordinary spirit, which is used to polish wooden furniture, is mostly a hydroxyl group-containing molecule called ethanol? Compounds containing –OH groups are found in the sugar we eat, the cotton we wear, and the paper we write on. Consider life without paper: no notebooks, books, newspapers, cash notes, checks, or certificates, to name a few examples. Beautiful images and engaging tales would vanish from our lives, as would publications. It'd have been a very different planet.

A phenol has –OH group(s) directly attached to a carbon atom(s) of an aromatic system, whereas alcohol contains one or more hydroxyl (OH) group(s) directly attached to a carbon atom(s) of an aliphatic system (CH3OH) (C6H5OH).

Another class of compounds known as 'ethers' is formed when a hydrogen atom in a hydrocarbon is replaced by an alkoxy or aryloxy group (R–O/Ar–O). For example, CH3OCH3 (dimethyl ether).

List of topics according to NCERT and JEE Main/NEET syllabus:

1. Classification of Alcohols, Phenol, and Ethers
2. Structures of Functional Groups
3. Physical Properties
4. Preparation of Alcohols
5. Reactions of Alcohols
6. Preparation of Phenols
7. Ethers
8. Reaction of Ethers
9. Preparation of Epoxides
10. Reactions of Epoxides
11. Acidic Strength
12. Tests for Alcohols, Phenols, and Ethers

Important concepts and Laws:

1. Alcohols— Mono, Di, Tri or Polyhydric alcohols
2. Phenols— Mono, Di and trihydric phenols
3. Ethers
4. Common and IUPAC Names of Some Alcohols
5. Common and IUPAC Names of Some Ethers
6. Structures of Functional Groups
7. Preparation of Alcohols

• From alkenes
• From carbonyl compounds
• From Grignard reagents

8. Preparation of Phenols

• From haloarenes
• From benzene sulphonic acid
• From diazonium salts
• From cumene

9. Physical Properties
10. Chemical Reactions
11. Reactions involving cleavage of O–H bond

• The acidity of alcohols and phenols
• Esterification

12. Reactions involving cleavage of carbon-oxygen (C–O) bond in alcohols

• Reaction with hydrogen halides:
• Reaction with phosphorus trihalides
• Dehydration:
• Oxidation:

13. Reactions of phenols

• Electrophilic aromatic substitution
• Kolbe’s reaction
• Reimer-Tiemann reaction
• The reaction of phenol with zinc dust
• Oxidation

14. Some Commercially Important Alcohols
15. Preparation of Ethers

• By dehydration of alcohols
• By dehydration of alcohols
• Physical Properties of ether

16. Chemical Reactions

1. Cleavage of C–O bond in ethers
2. Electrophilic substitution

• Halogenation
• Friedel-Crafts reaction
• Nitration

Importance of Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers class 12:

Alcohol and ether are classes of organic compounds that find wide usage in industries as well as for domestic purposes. Alcohol is formed when a saturated carbon atom is bonded to a hydroxyl (-OH) group. Ether is formed when an oxygen atom is connected to two alkyl or aryl groups.

Although, in the JEE Examination, there are just one to two questions from Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers.

However, it is still very important.

The main concepts include the classification of alcohol and ether, preparation and important reactions. Alcohol and Ether is an important topic included in the JEE syllabus for organic chemistry. Questions based on their reactions and methods of preparation are asked almost every year in JEE.

NCERT Solutions Subject wise link:

• NCERT solutions for class 12 Physics.
• NCERT solutions for class 12 Chemistry.
• NCERT solutions for class 12 Mathematics.
• NCERT solutions for class 12 Biology.
  
  

NCERT Exemplar Solutions Subject wise link:

• NCERT exemplar solutions for class 12 Physics.
• NCERT exemplar solutions for class 12 Chemistry.
• NCERT exemplar solutions for class 12 Mathematics.
• NCERT exemplar solutions for class 12 Biology.