To answer this we have to see the reactive nature of phenol and the substituents attached to it. Acidic behavior of phenol depends on the fact that how easily it can loose a proton and make phenoxide ion which is stabilized by resonance. The methoxy group being electron donating group increases the electron density of
Tag: ortho
IN CASE OF TOLUENE the methyl group attached to the ring, increases the electron density at ortho and para positions by resonance without changing anything at the meta position. Thus the attacking reagent directly attacks at the electron rich site , thus the methyl group is ortho directing. you can easily understand the movement of
the phenol is more acidic as compared to ortho methyl phenol because the methyl group is electron releasing group which will increase the electron density in the ring as well as on the carbon atom attached to -OH (hydroxyl group) thus -OH group will not release the H+ ion. but in case of phenol there
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