Phenyl group

The structure of the phenyl group

In chemistry, the phenyl group or phenyl ring (often abbreviated as -Ph) is the functional group with the formula

-C₆H₅

where the six carbon atoms are arranged in a cyclic manner. It is highly stable. This hydrophobic and aromatic hydrocarbon unit can be found in many organic compounds. It can be thought of as being derived from benzene (C₆H₆). One of the simplest phenyl containing compounds is phenol.

Presence of a phenyl group typically results in an ¹H-NMR shift around 7.4ppm.

The phenylene group is formally a benzene di-radical. For example, poly(p-phenylene) is a polymer built up from phenylene repeating units.

This functional group differs from the benzyl functional group in that benzyls have an extra CH₂.