anisole

Anisole, or methoxybenzene, is an organic compound with the formula . It is a colorless liquid with a smell reminiscent of anise seed, and in fact many of its derivatives are found in natural and artificial fragrances. The compound is mainly made synthetically and is a precursor to other synthetic compounds. Structurally, it is an ether () with a methyl () and phenyl () group attached. Anisole is a standard reagent of both practical and pedagogical value.

==Reactivity== Anisole undergoes electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction at a faster speed than benzene, which in turn reacts more quickly than nitrobenzene. The methoxy group is an ortho/para directing group, which means that electrophilic substitution preferentially occurs at these three sites. The enhanced nucleophilicity of anisole vs. benzene reflects the influence of the methoxy group, which renders the ring more electron-rich. The methoxy group strongly affects the pi cloud of the ring as a mesomeric electron donor, more so than as an inductive electron withdrawing group despite the electronegativity of the oxygen. Stated more quantitatively, the Hammett constant for para-substitution of anisole is –0.27.