Alcohols undergo a number of reactions involving the cleavage of C – OH bond. However, phenols do not undergo reactions involving the cleavage of C – OH bond. Alcohols are weaker acids than water. Alcohols react with halogen acids to form the corresponding haloaklanes. Phenols are stronger acids than alcohols. A charac- teristic feature of phenols is that they undergo electrophilic substitution reactions such as halogenation, nitration, etc. Since –OH group is a strong activating group, phenol gives trisubstituted products during halogenation, nitration, etc.
