Question

Butylated hydroxytoluene (I) is abbreviated as BHT. 15 CH3 OH C(CH3)3 (CH3)3C I BHT is used as a preservative in many types of foods. Give a rationale why BHT is more soluble in n-hexane, CH3(CH2)4CH3, rather than water.

Answer 1

one reason is BHT is a organic molecule which will like to soluble inorganic solvent (n-hexane) rathere than water

anothere reason is

generally phenols will partially soluble in water because of inter molecular hydrogen bonding with water

where as here both ortho positions of the phenol is substituted with tertiry butyl groups because of these bulky groups phenol group cannot form hydrogen bonding so it wll not soluble in water

one more reson is that tertiery butyl groups are hydrophobic in nature so it will not allow to soluble in water.