question_answer

Alcohols react with halogen acids or phosphorus halides to form haloalkanes but phenols do not form halobenzenes. Explain.

Answer:

                The \[C-O\] bond in phenols has some double bond character due to resonance and hence cannot be easily cleaved by \[{{X}^{-}}\] ions in presence of halogen acids or phosphorus halides to form halobenzenes. In contrast, the \[C-O\] bond in alcohols is a pure single bond and hence can be easily cleaved by \[{{X}^{-}}\] ions in presence of halogen acids or phosphorus halides to form haloalkanes.