Classification and Nomenclature of Phenols

Phenols are organic compounds in which an -OH group is attached directly to a benzene ring, on a carbon that is sp2-hybridised. Like alcohols, phenols are classed by the number of -OH groups: MONOHYDRIC (one -OH -- phenol itself, and its methyl-substituted derivatives o-, m- and p-cresol), DIHYDRIC (two -OH groups -- catechol/1,2-dihydroxybenzene, resorcinol/1,3-dihydroxybenzene, and quinol/1,4-dihydroxybenzene) and TRIHYDRIC (three -OH groups -- pyrogallol/1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene, hydroxyquinol/1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, and phloroglucinol/1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene). SUBSTITUTED phenols carry an additional functional group on the ring besides -OH, e.g …