Class 12 Chemistry — Chapter 2: Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers

What you'll learn

• ▸Classification of Alcohols by Hydroxyl Group Count
• ▸Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Alcohols
• ▸Allylic and Benzylic Alcohols
• ▸Classification of Phenols and Ethers
• ▸Vinylic Alcohols
• ▸IUPAC Nomenclature of Alcohols
• ▸Nomenclature of Phenols
• ▸IUPAC Nomenclature of Ethers

Chapter Summary

--- PAGE 1 --- Unit 7 Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Objectives After studying this Unit, you will be able to • name alcohols, phenols and ethers according to the IUPAC system of nomenclature; • discuss the reactions involved in the preparation of alcohols from alkenes, aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids; • discuss the reactions involved in the preparation of phenols from haloarenes, benzene sulphonic acids, diazonium salts and cumene; • discuss the reactions for preparation of ethers from (i) alcohols and (ii) alkyl halides and sodium alkoxides/aryloxides; • correlate physical properties of alcohols, phenols and ethers with their structures; • discuss chemical reactions of the three classes of compounds on the basis of their functional groups. Alcohols, phenols and ethers are the basic compounds for the formation of detergents, antiseptics and fragrances, respectively. You have learnt that substitution of one or more hydrogen a…

Practice Questions from this Chapter

Tap "Get Solution" on any question to ask our AI tutor.

1. Compare alcohols and phenols? Get Solution →
2. List common uses of ethers? Get Solution →
3. Illustrate different alcohol classes? Get Solution →
4. What is the general classification for a compound where a hydroxyl (–OH) group is directly attached to a carbon atom of an aliphatic system? Get Solution →
5. According to IUPAC nomenclature, what suffix replaces the 'e' in the parent alkane's name to indicate an alcohol? Get Solution →
6. What is the common name for the simplest hydroxy derivative of benzene (C₆H₅OH)? Get Solution →
7. Ethers in which the alkyl or aryl groups attached to the oxygen atom are the same are classified as: Get Solution →
8. How many hydroxyl groups are present in a trihydric alcohol? Get Solution →

Did you know?

• 💡 Yeast creates ethanol, the alcohol in drinks, by fermenting sugar.
• 💡 Early doctors made patients sleep using ether, a compound found in this chapter.
• 💡 Methanol, or wood alcohol, is extremely poisonous and can cause blindness.
• 💡 The sweet taste in many cough syrups comes from a trihydric alcohol called glycerol.
• 💡 Phenol, called carbolic acid, was the first antiseptic used to clean surgical tools.

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