Phenol vs. Phenyl
Key Differences
Comparison Chart
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Stability
Resonance Stabilization
Water Solubility
Importance
Phenol and Phenyl Definitions
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Phenol vs. Phenyl
Phenol is known as the simplest aromatic alcohol; on the other hand, phenyl known as a chemical structure that consists of a benzene ring missing a hydrogen atom. The phenol considered as a stable compound; on the flip side, the group of phenyl when alone is deemed to be unstable, and it is highly reactive.
In phenol, a hydroxyl group is present; on the other hand, no hydroxyl groups are present in the phenyl. The phenol is having the molecular formula C6H5OH, whereas phenyl is consisting of a molecular formula C6H5. Phenol is known to be less reactive because it consists of a stable structure; on the contrary, the phenyl group is known to be highly reactive because it lacks a hydrogen atom, so it is seeking for an atom or a group of atoms to share an electron.
Phenol is generally hydrophilic because it gets readily miscible with water through hydrogen bond formation; on the contrary, the phenyl is hydrophobic because it lacks a hydrogen atom, so it does not get miscible with water. The stability of phenol is due to the resonance stabilization; on the flip side, no resonance stabilization is present in phenyl, so it is an unstable compound.
Phenol is a little or lower acidic, while phenyl is not acidic at all. The importance of phenol is that it is most importantly used in household products such as cleanser and mouthwash, and as an intermediate for industrial production, it has been a first surgical antiseptic. However, the importance of phenyl is that it is a strong deodorant, and it is an antiseptic for disinfecting areas such as places like nursing homes, hospitals, toilets, drains, cowsheds and phenyl hugely used for sanitation purpose.
What is Phenol?
The simplest aromatic alcohol consisting of a molecular formula C6H5OH is known as phenol. About 94.11 g/mol is the known molar mass of the phenol. The molecules of phenol are aromatic because of the presence of a benzene ring, and this benzene ring further substituted with a hydroxyl group (-OH). In short, we can say that a phenol molecule consists of a phenyl group which is attached to a hydroxyl group.
Phenol is known as a weak acid. Phenol moderately dissociates into phenolate anion in an aqueous solution, producing the hydronium cation. However, phenol is relatively acidic when compared to other alcohols; the phenolate ion usually is stabilized because of the delocalization of the negative charge through resonance.
The phenol is considered a transparent crystalline solid having the sweet odor at room temperature and pressure. Phenol is a volatile compound. Its melting point is approximately 40.5 0C, and the boiling point is about 181.7 0C. Phenol is hydrophilic, and it is miscible with water because of its ability to produce hydrogen bonds with molecules of water.
The vapors of phenol are destructive to the eyes and the skin because phenol is a toxic compound. But have wide importance in industries, for example, it is a precursor for the formation of many plastics. The main use of phenol is that it is used as a disinfectant and as an antiseptic.
What is Phenyl?
The chemical structure in organic chemistry consists of a benzene ring, but lacking a hydrogen atom having the molecular formula C6H5 is known as phenyl. As it does not consist of a hydrogen atom, so there is present a vacant point for other atoms or molecules to get involved with the phenyl group.
The geometry of a phenyl group is planar, and it is a cyclic structure. In its structure, five carbon atoms are attached with five hydrogen atoms individually. The remaining carbon atom does not have a hydrogen atom attached to it, so there is present a vacant point for other molecules to attach.
A phenyl group is considered more stable when compared to the other aliphatic alkyl groups because of the stabilization of the aromatic ring through the delocalization of pi electrons, while the phenyl group alone is not stable as the carbon atom has an incomplete electronic configuration.
