When phenol is treated with carbon tetrachloride ( CCl ₄ ) and aqueous NaOH , an intermediate Y is formed. Subsequent alkaline hydrolysis and acidification of Y yields salicylic acid as the major product. The chemical name of the intermediate Y is :

Step-by-step solution

In the Reimer-Tiemann carboxylation reaction, phenol reacts with CCl ₄ in the presence of a strong base like NaOH . The base deprotonates phenol to form the phenoxide ion. The electrophile generated from CCl ₄ attacks the ortho position of the phenoxide ring. Since CCl ₄ has four chlorine atoms, the intermediate formed before hydrolysis contains a - CCl ₃ group. Furthermore, because the reaction medium is strongly alkaline, the phenolic oxygen remains deprotonated as a sodium salt. Thus, the intermediate Y is sodiu