The ionisation of an alcohol and a phenol takes place as follows:
Due to the higher electronegativity of sp
2 hybridised carbon
of phenol to which –OH is attached, electron density decreases
on oxygen This increases the polarity of O–H bond and results
in an increase in ionisation of phenols than that of alcohols Now let us examine the stabilities of alkoxide and phenoxide
ions In alkoxide ion, the negative charge is localised on oxygen
while in phenoxide ion, the charge is delocalised