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Topic: Bromine water test interpretation  (Read 3523 times)

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MazukFarnas

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Bromine water test interpretation
« on: November 01, 2019, 08:33:08 AM »
Hi All,

I am taking organic chemistry II, as part of my chemical engineering program, and I am having a little bit of trouble knowing if this inference can be made.

I am given an unknown, solid compound, which I determined to be a phenol via IR spec. I did the bromine water test, and it was positive for a phenol, in that it accepted 60-drops of Br water solution and still did not retain the colour of the Br water reagent. I understand this much.

I am wondering if, since there was a white precipitate formed, and the textbook (shriner) tells me that a white precipitate forming is 2,4,6-tribromophenol, can I make the conclusion that my unknown compound is phenol itself? Or at least a phenol which is substituted only at the meta-positions. The book says that phenol will become brominated in the ortho and para positions due to the net hydroxyl 2,4-directing effect.

Offline mjc123

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Re: Bromine water test interpretation
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2019, 09:24:58 AM »
Did your IR indicate anything about the substitution pattern?

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