The conversion of phenol to benzene by strongly heating it with zinc dust is a standard preparation — Hydrocarbons Chemistry Question
Question
The conversion of phenol to benzene by strongly heating it with zinc dust is a standard preparation method. What is the fundamental chemical nature of this reaction from the perspective of the phenol molecule?
Answer: C
💡 Solution & Explanation
During this reaction, phenol ($C_6H_5OH$) loses an oxygen atom to form benzene ($C_6H_6$). The removal of oxygen is fundamentally a reduction process. The zinc dust acts as the reducing agent, accepting the oxygen atom to become oxidized into zinc oxide ($ZnO$).
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