In the formation of standard Bakelite, phenol condenses with formaldehyde. In the very first step (Lederer-Manasse reaction) under basic conditions, an electrophile attacks the phenoxide ring. How man

Question

In the formation of standard Bakelite, phenol condenses with formaldehyde. In the very first step (Lederer-Manasse reaction) under basic conditions, an electrophile attacks the phenoxide ring. How many carbon atoms does this specific attacking electrophile possess?

Prashant Kotian · Accepted Answer

Correct answer: 1. In the synthesis of Bakelite, phenol condenses with formaldehyde (). In an alkaline medium, formaldehyde acts as the source of the electrophile, reacting with the electron-rich phenoxide ion to form ortho- and para-hydroxybenzyl alcohols. The electrophile derived directly from formaldehyde naturally contains exactly 1 carbon atom.

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