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Topic: Ethanol and Phenol..  (Read 8064 times)

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jonkye

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Ethanol and Phenol..
« on: March 28, 2006, 07:25:13 AM »
Can anyone suggest a simple way in a lab to distinguish between Phenol (C6H5OH) and ethanol (CH3CH2OH) ?. Is there any simple reaction that reacts in two different way with them or something like that?

Thank you very much for your time  ;D ;)
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Offline arit

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Re:Ethanol and Phenol..
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2006, 08:49:36 AM »
Phenols are weak acids.
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Offline green-goblin

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Re:Ethanol and Phenol..
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2006, 09:22:10 AM »
Not a reaction but phenols solid and stinks like..well... phenol.
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Offline Mitch

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Re:Ethanol and Phenol..
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2006, 01:20:44 PM »
Ethanol will smell slightly sweet and wonderful.
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Offline xiankai

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Re:Ethanol and Phenol..
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2006, 07:56:20 AM »
just dont inhale too deeply; i was the unfortunate victim of one such "smelling"; my nose really hurt for days  ;D
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Offline Will

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Re:Ethanol and Phenol..
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2006, 06:41:30 PM »
Good tests for phenols are:

1) Add bromine water (Br2(aq)) and gelatinous white precipitate is formed and bromine water is discolourised.

2) Add neutral FeCl3(aq) and a purpley colour is formed (usually).

When you do these tests on ethanol nothing happens (no precipitate is formed with Br2(aq) and it is not discolourised, and the FeCl3(aq) remains yellow).

Also some phenols will react with Na2CO3(aq) to form CO2(g) (acid test so nothing happens with ethanol) but this is not a good test for phenols.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2006, 06:44:00 PM by will17 »
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