C ethylene glycol antifreeze b.p. Characteristics and Uses of phenols. Phenols are named as derivatives of the parent compound phenol. Phenols are weak acids which are widely used for their antiseptic and disinfectant properties. Some phenols are used as antioxidants in foods and a variety of other materials.
Ethers contain an oxygen attached to two carbons as the characteristic functional group.
In the lUPAC system, ethers are named as alkoxy derivatives of alkanes. The simplest and most important compound of this class is ethyIene oxide. Properties of Ethers. Like the alkanes, ethers are very unreactive substances. Pure ethers cannot form hydrogen bonds.