3methylphenyl

3-methylphenyl is a hydrocarbon substituent derived from benzene by replacing one hydrogen with a methyl group at the 3-position relative to the point of attachment. It is the meta isomer of the tolyl group and is commonly called the m-tolyl group. The unsubstituted form has the formula C7H7.

In IUPAC terms the substituent is named 3-methylphenyl. Synonyms include m-tolyl and meta-tolyl. The two other isomers are o-tolyl (2-methylphenyl) and p-tolyl (4-methylphenyl). The 3-methylphenyl group is used as a general aryl substituent in a wide range of organic compounds, where its position relative to the attachment point can influence steric and electronic properties of the molecule.

Chemically, the methyl group is an electron-donating substituent via hyperconjugation, and it increases the hydrophobic character of the molecule. As a substituent on an aromatic ring, the 3-methylphenyl group is relatively nonpolar and contributes to the overall lipophilicity of the compound it is part of. Its presence can affect reactivity and selectivity in subsequent aromatic substitutions or coupling reactions.

Common applications involve its use as a building block in organic synthesis. It appears in pharmaceuticals, dyes, and polymers, where the meta-methyl group helps tune lipophilicity and steric profile. In synthetic chemistry, the 3-methylphenyl group is typically introduced through cross-coupling reactions (for example, Suzuki-Miyaura or Negishi couplings) using 3-bromotoluene or 3-methylphenyl boronic derivatives as coupling partners.