The final product in the following reaction is
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid)
The –OH group of phenol releases electrons into the ring by resonance. It strongly activates the ring and directs incoming groups to the ortho and para positions.
\( \displaystyle \ce{C6H5OH} \xrightarrow{\text{dil. }\ce{HNO3}\text{, 298 K}} \text{2-nitrophenol} + \text{4-nitrophenol} \)
\( \displaystyle \ce{C6H5OH + 3HNO3} \xrightarrow{\text{conc.}} \underset{\text{2,4,6-trinitrophenol}}{\ce{C6H2(NO2)3OH}} + \ce{3H2O} \)
So the final product is 2,4,6-trinitrophenol, known as picric acid.
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (1) 2-nitrophenol — Incorrect. It forms, along with 4-nitrophenol, when phenol reacts with dilute nitric acid.
Option (3) 2,4-dinitrophenol — Incorrect. With concentrated nitric acid the reaction does not stop at two nitro groups; the remaining ortho position is also nitrated.
Option (4) 2,3-dinitrophenol — Incorrect. Position 3 is meta to the –OH group, which is o,p-directing, so a nitro group does not enter there.
NCERT (2026-27 edition):
Nitration
