Question

Phenols do not react with:

• A. Sodium bicarbonate
• B. Sodium hydroxide
• C. Potassium hydroxide
• D. Ferric chloride

Answer 1

The correct option is A Sodium bicarbonate

Phenol is acidic in nature . But it is a weak acid. The presence of $-OH$ on phenol and the conjugation of electrons in benzene rings pull the electrons away from the $-OH$ group. Sodium bicarbonate is a weak base . It easily accepts electrons from stronger acids like carbonic acid, but it is not strong enough to pull the proton off phenol. Hence, due to the weak acidic nature of phenol, $NaHC{O}_3$ does not react with phenol .
Hence, option A is correct.