When phenol reacts with diazomethane \(\left(\mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{~N}_{2}\right)\), the products formed are

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The products formed in the reaction between phenol and diazomethane are anisole (C6H5OCH3) and nitrogen gas (N2).

Step by step solution

01

Identify the reactants and the structure of phenol

The reactants in this reaction are phenol and diazomethane (CH2N2). Phenol is an aromatic compound with a hydroxyl group attached to a benzene ring. Its structure can be represented as follows: Phenol: O ║ C // \\ CC CC ║ ║ CC CC \\ // C \ H Diazomethane (CH2N2): H | C | N ║ N
02

Show the reaction mechanism and intermediate species formation

The reaction between phenol and diazomethane proceeds via a nucleophilic attack of the oxygen atom from phenol to carbon atom in diazomethane. This leads to the formation of an intermediate species. The reaction mechanism can be described as follows: Phenol Diazomethane Intermediate (Oxygen nucleophile) + (Electrophilic Carbon) -> (Oxygen attached to Carbon with nitrogen) O ║ C H // \\ + CH2N2 -> O CC CC ║ ║ ║ C CC CC | \\ // CH2N2
03

Identify products formed and write the balanced reaction equation

After the formation of the intermediate species, nitrogen gas (N2) is released from diazomethane. The phenol is now attached to the CH2 group (a methyl group). This forms the O-methyl ether derivative of phenol, known as anisole. The overall reaction equation can be written as: Phenol + Diazomethane -> Anisole + Nitrogen gas C6H5OH + CH2N2 -> C6H5OCH3 + N2
04

Represent the structure of the final product (anisole)

Anisole is an aromatic ether with a methoxy group attached to a benzene ring. Its structure can be represented as follows: Anisole: O ║ C // \\ CC CC ║ ║ CC CC \\ // C | H This concludes the step-by-step solution for the reaction between phenol and diazomethane. The products formed are anisole (C6H5OCH3) and nitrogen gas (N2).

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