[MazukFarnas]

Hi All,

I am taking organic chemistry II, as part of my chemical engineering program, and I am having a little bit of trouble knowing if this inference can be made.

I am given an unknown, solid compound, which I determined to be a phenol via IR spec. I did the bromine water test, and it was positive for a phenol, in that it accepted 60-drops of Br water solution and still did not retain the colour of the Br water reagent. I understand this much.

I am wondering if, since there was a white precipitate formed, and the textbook (shriner) tells me that a white precipitate forming is 2,4,6-tribromophenol, can I make the conclusion that my unknown compound is phenol itself? Or at least a phenol which is substituted only at the meta-positions. The book says that phenol will become brominated in the ortho and para positions due to the net hydroxyl 2,4-directing effect.

[mjc123]

Did your IR indicate anything about the substitution pattern?