APPLICATIONS

Thiophenol is a compound of aromatic thiol which is structurally analogous to phenol; hydroxyl group (-OH) bonded to the aromatic ring is replaced by a sulfhydryl group (-SH). This structure means that the oxygen atom hydroxyl group is replaced by a sulfur atom. Thiophenol is also called phenyl mercaptan. Thiophenol is a toxic, flammable clear liquid with a strong and disagreeable odor; boiling at 168 C. It is insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol and ether. Many chemical reactions of thiophenols are analogous to phenols. The substantial difference between sulfur and oxygen is that sulfur much more readily gets oxidized to higher oxidation states than oxygen. Sulfur in organic compounds is fairly stable in several oxidation states. Thiophenols can form thiophenolate anions by losing sulfhydryl H+ ions; used as reagents for the simple chemical preparation. The ring closure reaction of o-amino thiophenol produces benzothiazole, an important industrial product. Thiophenol itself is used as an antinematodal agent. Thiophenol class compounds have the skeleton of thiophenol.