Phenols

In organic chemistry, phenols, sometimes called phenolics, are a class of chemical compounds consisting of one or more hydroxylgroups (−OH) bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The simplest is phenol, C
₆H
₅OH. Phenolic compounds are classified as simple phenols or polyphenols based on the number of phenol units in the molecule.

Phenols are both synthesized industrially and produced by plants and microorganisms.