Concept:The initial step in the formation of the polymer Bakelite involves an electrophilic substitution where formaldehyde adds to the phenol ring.
Formula:Not applicable to this conceptual question.
Solution:- Phenol reacts with formaldehyde (HCHO) in the presence of dilute acid or alkali.
- The initial product is ortho- and para-hydroxybenzyl alcohol.
- Because this intermediate represents the direct addition of the two reactants without the loss of any small molecules initially, it is referred to as an adduct (specifically, saligenin).
Why other options are incorrect:Oxonium and hydronium are positively charged oxygen intermediates/ions, not the stable isolable products of this step. Phenoxide ion is formed just by adding a base, not by reaction with formaldehyde.
Quality & Fidelity Assurance:
Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.