Reaction of phenol with dil. `HNO_(3)` gives

Options

A. p and m-nitrophenols
B. o- and p- nitrophenols
C. Picric acid
D. o- andm- nitrophenols

Answer

To solve the question regarding the reaction of phenol with dilute HNO₃, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Reactants**: The reactant in this case is phenol (C₆H₅OH) and the reagent is dilute nitric acid (HNO₃).

2. **Understand the Mechanism**: Phenol has a hydroxyl (-OH) group, which is an activating group due to its +M (mesomeric) effect. This means that the -OH group will direct electrophilic substitution to the ortho and para positions of the benzene ring.

3. **Electrophilic Substitution**: When phenol reacts with dilute HNO₃, the nitronium ion (NO₂⁺) generated from HNO₃ acts as the electrophile. Due to the activating nature of the -OH group, the nitronium ion will preferentially attack the ortho and para positions of the phenol ring.

4. **Formation of Products**: The products formed from this reaction will be:
- Ortho-nitrophenol (where the -NO₂ group is at the ortho position relative to -OH)
- Para-nitrophenol (where the -NO₂ group is at the para position relative to -OH)

5. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the reaction of phenol with dilute HNO₃ gives ortho and para nitrophenols.

### Final Answer:
The reaction of phenol with dilute HNO₃ gives ortho and para nitrophenols.

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