explain the mechanism of action and applications of phenols and phenolic compounds
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Phenol, any of a family of organic compounds characterized by a hydroxyl (―OH) group attached to a carbon atom that is part of an aromatic ring. Besides serving as the generic name for the entire family, the term phenol is also the specific name for its simplest member, monohydroxybenzene (C6H5OH), also known as benzenol, or carbolic acid.
Phenol-formaldehyde resins are heat-resistant and waterproof, though somewhat brittle. They are formed through the reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, followed by cross-linking of the polymeric chains.
Phenol-formaldehyde resins are heat-resistant and waterproof, though somewhat brittle. They are formed through the reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, followed by cross-linking of the polymeric chains.
Methane, in which four hydrogen atoms are bound to a single carbon atom, is an example of a basic chemical compound. The structures of chemical compounds are influenced by complex factors, such as bond angles and bond length.
An oxygen atom normally forms two σ bonds with other atoms; the water molecule, H2O, is the simplest and most common example.…
Phenols are similar to alcohols but form stronger hydrogen bonds. Thus, they are more soluble in water than are alcohols and have higher boiling points. Phenols occur either as colourless liquids or white solids at room temperature and may be highly toxic and caustic.
Phenols are widely used in household products and as intermediates for industrial synthesis. For example, phenol itself is used (in low concentrations) as a disinfectant in household cleaners and in mouthwash. Phenol may have been the first surgical antiseptic. In 1865 the British surgeon Joseph Lister used phenol as an antiseptic to sterilize his operating field. With phenol used in this manner, the mortality rate from surgical amputations fell from 45 to 15 percent in Lister’s ward. Phenol is quite toxic, however, and concentrated solutions cause severe but painless burns of the skin and mucous membranes. Less-toxic phenols, such as n-hexylresorcinol, have supplanted phenol itself in cough drops and other antiseptic applications. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) has a much lower toxicity and is a common antioxidant in foods.
Phenolic compounds
Phenolic compounds have an aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups and act as antioxidants. Generally, two classes of phenolic compounds (e.g., hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids) are found in plant materials like TRCs. However, phenylpropanoid [compounds with a phenyl ring (C6) and side chain (C3)] serves as precursor for the synthesis of other phenolic compounds. Major groups of phenolic compounds found in TRCs are simple phenolics, phenolic acids, flavonoids, coumarins, stilbenes, tannins, lignans, and lignins (Sreeramulu and Raghunath, 2010). The phenolics present in TRCs render several health benefits including, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antimutagenic activities, among others (Chandrasekara and Joseph Kumar, 2016). Several factors (e.g., environmental conditions, cultivar, cultural and postharvest practices, processing conditions, and storage etc.,) are responsible for the quantity of phenolic compounds present species of TRCs.