Question

The formulation of Dettol contains:
A.Chloroxylenol
B.Terpineol
C.Isopropyl alcohol
D.All of these

Answer 1

Hint: At first think about the chemical formula and structure of Dettol so that you can get some idea about the constituents of it. The chemical formula of Dettol is ${C_8}{H_9}ClO$. Dettol is disinfectant and antiseptic.

Complete step by step answer:
Dettol contains chloroxylenol (comprises $4.8\% $ of dettol’s total admixture), terpineol and isopropyl alcohol. Chloroxylenol acts as an antiseptic and disinfectant used for skin disinfection and cleaning surgical instruments. Terpineol which is a monoterpene alcohol has been isolated from a variety of sources such as cajuput oil, pine oil and petitgrain oil. Dettol contains all of the above compounds so the answer is D.
Additional Information:-Chloroxylenol is also known as para-chloro-meta-xylenol. It is used for skin infection and cleaning surgical instruments. It is available as liquid. It is less effective than some available agents. Side effects are generally few but can cause skin irritation. It is most effective against gram positive bacteria. It works by disrupting the cell wall and stopping the functioning of enzymes. It is highly toxic to fish, cats and some amphibians. Excessive exposure to chloroxylenol has the potential for causing death. Terpineol is actually a mixture of the isomers with alpha-terpineol as the major constituent. It has a pleasant odor similar to lilac and is a common ingredient in perfumes, cosmetics and flavours. The alpha-terpineol originates on the pine smoke used to dry the tea.

Note:
Chloroxylenol is the active ingredient in Dettol. It comprises $4.8\% $ of Dettol’s total admixture, and the rest is made up of pine oil, isopropanol, castor oil, soap and water. Dettol’s antiseptic property comes from chloroxylenol.