P-Cresol - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

p-Cresol, also 4-methylphenol, is a phenol

Phenol

Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...

, with formula (CH₃)C₆H₄(OH).

It is a positional isomer

Isomer

In chemistry, isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulas. Isomers do not necessarily share similar properties, unless they also have the same functional groups. There are many different classes of isomers, like stereoisomers, enantiomers, geometrical...

; the other two are m-cresol

M-Cresol

m-Cresol, also 3-methylphenol, is a phenol, with formula C6H4.Amongst its uses it can be used as a solvent for dissolving polymers, most notably the conducting polymer polyaniline...

and o-cresol

O-Cresol

ortho-Cresol, also 2-methylphenol, is a phenol, with formula C6H4.It is an isomer of p-cresol, m-cresol and anisole-Chemistry:...

. P-cresol is a major component in pig odor. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=why-study-pig-odor. For more information see cresol

Cresol

Cresols are organic compounds which are methylphenols. They are a widely occurring natural and manufactured group of aromatic organic compounds which are categorized as phenols . Depending on the temperature, cresols can be solid or liquid because they have melting points not far from room...

. 4-methylphenol is a component in human sweat. It is a component of human odour attractive to female mosquitoes. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v427/n6971/full/427212a.html

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