Phenol ether
In chemistry, a phenol ether (or aromatic ether) is an organic compound derived from phenol (C6H5OH), where the hydroxyl (-OH) group is substituted with an alkoxy (-OR) group. Usually phenol ethers are synthesized through the condensation of phenol and an organic alcohol; however, other known reactions regarding the synthesis of ethers can be applied to phenol ethers as well. Anisole (C6H5OCH3) is the simplest phenol ether, and is a versatile precursor for perfumes and pharmaceuticals. Vanillin and ethylvanillin are phenol ether derivatives commonly utilized in vanilla flavorings and fragrances, while diphenyl ether is commonly used as a synthetic geranium fragrance. Phenol ethers are part of the chemical structure of a variety of medications, including quinine, an antimalarial drug, and dextromethorphan, an over-the-counter cough suppressant. Nomenclature Phenol ethers follow the same nomenclature of regular ethers; ethers have the structure R-O-R’, but phenol ethers require that one of the substituents to be a phenyl group (abbreviated Ph), signifying a simple general structure of Ph-O-R’. As a result, the IUPAC nomenclature of phenol ethers will often take the form of “alkoxybenzene” or “phenoxyalkane,” where the alkane is some sort of hydrocarbon substituent. The preference of the benzene ring in nomenclature relies on whether