phenol

1. A caustic, poisonous, white crystalline compound, C₆H₅OH, derived from benzene and used in resins, plastics, and pharmaceuticals and in dilute form as a disinfectant and antiseptic. Also called carbolic acid.
2. Any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring.

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The simplest member of a class of organic compounds possessing a hydroxyl group attached to a benzene ring or to a more complex aromatic ring system. Phenol itself, C₆H₅OH, may also be called hydroxybenzene or carbolic acid. Pure phenol is a colorless solid melting at 42°C (108°F), moderately soluble in water, and weakly acidic (pK 9.9).

Phenol has broad biocidal properties, and dilute aqueous solutions have long been used as an antiseptic. At higher concentrations phenol causes severe skin burns; it is a violent systemic poison.

Phenol has the structure shown. Simple substituted phenols, such as the three isomeric chlorophenols, are named as indicated, using the ortho (o), meta (m), and para (p) prefixes. In more highly substituted phenols the positions of substitution are indicated by numbers (as in 2,4-dichlorophenol). Compounds with more than one hydroxyl group per aromatic ring are known as polyhydric phenols, and include catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, phloroglucinol, and pyrogallol.

Until World War I phenol was essentially a natural coal tar product. However, synthetic methods have replaced extraction from natural sources. There are many possible syntheses.

Phenol is one of the most versatile and important industrial organic chemicals. It is the starting point for many diverse products used in the home and industry. A partial list includes: nylon, epoxy resins, surface active agents, synthetic detergents, plasticizers, antioxidants, lube oil additives, phenolic resins (with formaldehyde, furfural, and so on), polyurethanes, aspirin, dyes, wood preservatives, herbicides, drugs, fungicides, gasoline additives, inhibitors, explosives, and pesticides. See also Phenolic resin.

An organic compound in which one or more hydroxyl groups are attached to a carbon atom in an aromatic ring that contains conjugated double bonds.

A class of acid organic compounds used in the manufacture of epoxy resins, phenol-formaldehyde resins, plasticizers, plastics, and wood preservatives.

1. an extremely poisonous compound obtained by distillation of coal tar or produced synthetically; used as a disinfectant and used extensively as a wood preservative. Called also carbolic acid.
2. any organic compound containing one or more hydroxyl groups attached to an aromatic or carbon ring.

• p. coefficient — a measure of the bactericidal activity of a chemical compound in relation to phenol. The activity of the compound is expressed as the ratio of dilution in which it kills in 10 minutes under specified conditions. It can be determined in the absence of organic matter, or in the presence of a standard amount of added organic matter.
• p. Folin–Ciocalteau — a sensitive, colorimetric method for estimating the protein content of cerebrospinal fluid.
• plant p. — includes gossypol, tannins.
• p. poisoning — animals can be exposed to phenol by skin contact with floors and housing which have been treated with the disinfectant, or other phenol-rich substance such as lignite pitch, or by nibbling at wood treated with it. Causes local tissue necrosis and hepatic injury. Cats are particularly susceptible.
• p. red — see phenolsulfonphthalein.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - fenol, karbolsyre

Nederlands (Dutch)
fenol (carbolzuur)

Français (French)
n. - phénol

Deutsch (German)
n. - (Chem.) Phenol, Karbolsäure

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (χημ.) φαινόλη

Italiano (Italian)
fenolo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - fenol (m) (Quím.)

Русский (Russian)
фенол

Español (Spanish)
n. - fenol

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - fenol (kem.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
苯酚, 石碳酸

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 苯酚, 石碳酸

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 페놀, 석탄산

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - フェノール

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) فينول, حامض الكربوليك‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חומצה קרבולית, פנול‬

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