What is "xylenol"

Xylenol \Xy"le*nol\, n. [Xylene + -ol.] (Chem.) Any one of six metameric phenol derivatives of xylene, obtained as crystalline substances, (CH3)2.C6H3.OH.

n. (context organic chemistry English) An arene compound with two methyl groups and a hydroxyl group.

Xylenols are organic compounds with the formula (CH)CHOH. They are volatile colorless solids or oily liquids. They are derivatives of phenol with two methyl groups and a hydroxyl group. Six isomers exist, of which 2,6-xylenol with both methyl group in an ortho position with respect to the hydroxyl group is the most important. The name xylenol is a portmanteau of the words xylene and phenol.

2,4-dimethylphenol together with other xylenols and many other compounds are traditionally extracted from coal tar, the volatile materials obtained in the production of coke from coal. These residue contains a few percent by weight of xylenols as well as cresols and phenol. The main xylenols in such tar are the 3,5-, 2,4, and 2,3- isomers. 2,6-Xylenol is produced by methylation of phenol using methanol in the presence of metal oxide catalysts: