Phenyl group

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In chemistry, the phenyl group or phenyl ring (often abbreviated as -Ph) is the functional group with the formula

-C₆H₅

where the six carbon atoms are arranged in a cyclic ring structure. It is in the Aryl group. It is highly stable, and is also a member of the aromatic family of compounds. This hydrophobic and aromatic hydrocarbon unit can be found in many organic compounds. It can be thought of as being derived from benzene (C₆H₆). In fact, in chemical literature benzene itself is sometimes denoted as Ph. One of the simplest phenyl containing compounds is phenol, C₆H₅OH. The resonance stability of phenol makes it a stronger acid than that of another alcohol (pKa = 10 vs. 16-18).

Presence of a phenyl group typically results in an ¹H-NMR shift around 7.7ppm.

The phenyl group differs from the benzyl functional group in that benzyls have an extra CH₂. These phenyl groups can also be found in polymers such as polystyrene.