Which of the following compounds is obtained on the reaction of phenol with diazomethane.

Options

A. A simple ether
B. An aromatic ether
C. An ester
D. A Hydroxy toluene

Answer

To determine which compound is obtained from the reaction of phenol with diazomethane, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Reactants
- **Phenol**: This is an aromatic compound with the formula C6H5OH, where the hydroxyl (-OH) group is attached to a benzene ring.
- **Diazomethane**: This compound can be represented as CH2=N2, which can also be depicted as CH2N2. It acts as a methylating agent in organic reactions.

### Step 2: Reaction Conditions
- The reaction typically takes place under acidic conditions. An acid like HBF4 can be used to facilitate the reaction.

### Step 3: Mechanism of the Reaction
1. **Protonation of Diazomethane**: The diazomethane can be protonated by the acid, forming a more reactive species.
2. **Nucleophilic Attack**: The oxygen atom of phenol, which has lone pairs of electrons, acts as a nucleophile and attacks the carbon atom of the diazomethane.
3. **Formation of Intermediate**: This results in the formation of a methylated phenol intermediate, where a methyl group (CH3) is transferred to the oxygen atom of phenol, leading to the formation of an intermediate compound.
4. **Elimination of Nitrogen Gas**: The reaction will also produce nitrogen gas (N2) as a byproduct, which drives the reaction forward.
5. **Final Product**: After the elimination of nitrogen gas and the removal of a proton, the final product is methyl phenyl ether, also known as anisole (C6H5OCH3).

### Step 4: Identify the Product
- The product formed from the reaction of phenol with diazomethane is methyl phenyl ether (anisole).

### Step 5: Evaluate the Options
- Based on the reaction, we analyze the given options:
1. Simple ether: Incorrect, as the product is not a simple ether.
2. **Aromatic ether**: Correct, as the product is methyl phenyl ether (anisole).
3. Ester: Incorrect, as the product does not contain the ester functional group.
4. Hydroxy toluene: Incorrect, as this is not the product formed in this reaction.

### Conclusion
- The correct answer is **B: Aromatic ether**.

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