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Phenolates

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  1. Phenolates
Phenolates
Salts or other derivatives of phenols

Phenolates (also called phenoxides) are anions, salts, and esters of phenols, containing the phenolate ion. They may be formed by reaction of phenols with strong base.1

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Contents
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  • Properties
  • Uses
  • See also
  • References
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Contents
Contents6 sections
  • (Top)
  • Properties
  • Uses
  • Production of salicylic acid
  • See also
  • References
  • Recent changes
  • Rabbit hole
Study aids for Phenolates

Terminology

phenoxides
Phenolates (also called phenoxides) are anions, salts, and esters of phenols, containing the phenolate ion.

Terms the article defines in bold, quoted in context.

Categories:
  • Phenolates

164 words · 5 references · revision 1351378922 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Key concepts

  • Anion1
  • Salt (chemistry)1
  • Phenols1
  • Sodium phenoxide1
  • Phenolate1
  • Nucleophile1
  • Thermodynamic versus kinetic reaction control1
  • Williamson ether synthesis1
  • Haloalkane1
  • Kolbe–Schmitt reaction1

The articles this one links to most, weighted towards the introduction.

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Properties

Main article: sodium phenoxide

Alkali metal phenolates, such as sodium phenolate hydrolyze in aqueous solution to form basic solutions.2 At pH = 10, phenol and phenolate are in approximately 1:1 proportions.

The phenoxide anion (aka phenolate) is a strong nucleophile with a comparable to the one of carbanions or tertiary amines.3 Generally, oxygen attack of phenoxide anions is kinetically favored, while carbon-attack is thermodynamically preferred (see Thermodynamic versus kinetic reaction control). Mixed oxygen/carbon attack and by this a loss of selectivity is usually observed if the reaction rate reaches diffusion control.4

Uses

Alkyl aryl ethers can be synthesized through the Williamson ether synthesis by treating sodium phenolate with an alkyl halide:5

C6H5ONa + CH3I → C6H5OCH3 + NaI
C6H5ONa + (CH3O)2SO2 → C6H5OCH3 + (CH3O)SO3Na

Production of salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is produced in the Kolbe–Schmitt reaction between carbon dioxide and sodium phenolate.

See also

  • Sodium phenolate

References

  1. 1Smith, Michael B.; March, Jerry (2007), Advanced Organic Chemistry: Reactions, Mechanisms, and Structure (6th ed.), New York: Wiley-Interscience, p. 506, ISBN 978-0-471-72091-1
  2. 2Jakubke, Hans-Dieter; Karcher, Ruth (1999). Lexikon der Chemie in drei Bänden, Band 3. Heidelberg: Spektrum Verlag. p. 14. ISBN 3-8274-0381-2.
  3. 3[1]. Mayr's Database of Reactivity Parameters. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  4. 4Mayer, Robert J.; Breugst, Martin; Hampel, Nathalie; Ofial, Armin R.; Mayr, Herbert (2019-06-26). "Ambident Reactivity of Phenolate Anions Revisited: A Quantitative Approach to Phenolate Reactivities". Journal of Organic Chemistry. 84 (14): 8837–8858. doi:10.1021/acs.joc.9b01485. PMID 31241938. S2CID 195696760.
  5. 5Beyer, Hans; Walter, Wolfgang (1984). . Stuttgart: S. Hirzel Verlag. pp. 463–464. .
Organische Chemie
ISBN
3-7776-0406-2
Created
13 Mar 2009
History
29 edits
18 contributors
No edits in the last 30 days
Last edited
27 Apr 2026

29 revisions in total · 18 contributors

  1. 27 Apr 2026, 15:43 UTCMarbletannot a stub−17diff
  2. 29 Dec 2025, 13:45 UTCWham2001WP:SD40+60diff
  3. 29 Dec 2025, 13:43 UTCWham2001mReplaced curly quotes per MOS:CURLY using a script; rm curly quotes from ref names−23diff
  4. 21 Aug 2024, 09:07 UTCM97uzivatelNo edit summary−3diff
  5. 1 Aug 2024, 13:00 UTCKormiSKuseless WL−4diff
  6. 13 Nov 2023, 15:31 UTCTom.Redingm+{{Authority control}} (1 ID from Wikidata); WP:GenFixes & cleanup on+23diff
  7. 19 Oct 2023, 00:28 UTCMichael7604No edit summary+34diff
  8. 24 Apr 2023, 14:02 UTCSmokefoot§ Properties section moved from phenol+235diff

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Created
13 Mar 2009
History
29 edits
18 contributors
No edits in the last 30 days
Last edited
27 Apr 2026

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