Question

Why o-nitrophenol is steam volatile where as p-nitrophenol has higher boiling point. Explain

Answer 1

o-nitrophenol has intermolecular hydrogen bonding leading to less association between adjacent molecules and hence low boiling point. On the other hand P-nitrophenol as intermolecular hydrogen bonding leading to more association. This requires more energy to break the hydrogen bonds thus leading to higher boiling point.