Phenol

Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formulaC₆H₅OH. It is a white, crystallinesolid at room temperature. It consists of a phenyl (-C₆H₅) group, bonded to a hydroxyl (-OH) group. It is produced on a large scale (about 7 billion kg/year) as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds.It is only mildly acidic but requires careful handling due to its toxicity and its propensity to cause severe burns.

The major uses of phenol involve its conversion to plastics or related materials. Condensation with acetone gives bisphenol-A, a key building block for polycarbonates. Condensation with formaldehyde gives phenolic resins, the most famous of which is Bakelite. Hydrogenation of phenol gives cyclohexanone, an intermediate en route to nylon. Nonionic detergents are produced by alkylation of phenol to give the alkylphenols, which are then subjected to ethoxylation.^[1]

Phenol is also a versatile precursor to a large collection of drugs, most notably aspirin but also many herbicides and pharmaceuticals. Phenol is also used as an oral anesthetic/analgesic, commonly used to temporarily treat pharyngitis.