The hydroxyl group, in phenol is directly attached to
the sp
2 hybridised carbon of benzene ring which acts as an
electron withdrawing group Due to this, the charge distribution
in phenol molecule, as depicted in its resonance structures,
causes the oxygen of –OH group to be positive The reaction of phenol with aqueous sodium hydroxide
indicates that phenols are stronger acids than alcohols and water Let us examine how a compound in which hydroxyl group
attached to an aromatic ring is more acidic than the one in
which hydroxyl group is attached to an alkyl group