Why is phenol more polar than alcohol. I mean the benzene ring seems to be extremely unpolar. Furthermore, is the hydrogen bonding stronger in phenol than in alcohol? Are polarity and hydrogen bonding related (in hydroxy compounds)?
I am doing TLC and I was taught that hydrogen bonding can occur with the alcohol/phenol and that alcohol has stronger hydrogen bonding to the silica gel than it would have despite the lower polarity a lower Rf value than phenol.
But to be honest I am very unsure about those teachings.