video tutorial Mono-nitration of phenol

Name: video tutorial - Mono-nitration of phenol
Uploaded: 2025-12-11T09:03:44.249Z
Duration: 11 min 19 s
Description: We've been wanting to try out the nitration of phenol for a long time,...We won't be making picric acid as it's very dangerous and ultimately not very useful.

Goal: mononitration of phenol to produce ortho-nitrophenol, avoiding picric acid.
Approach: nitration in aqueous acidic medium with temperature control (ice bath), slow addition of phenol via addition funnel, and monitoring to minimize dinitration; followed by steam distillation to isolate the ortho isomer.
Result: ortho-nitrophenol obtained in about 22% yield (13 g from 40 g phenol); purification of the other products yielded a tar-like material that could not be cleanly purified; plan to refine purification or pursue alternative methods; a purer ortho-nitro phenol sample is available for future work, requests for definitive purification guidance.