Hydrogenation of phenol provides cyclohexanone, a precursor to nylon. Nonionic detergents are produced by alkylation of phenol to provide the alkylphenols, e.g.,nonylphenol, which are then subjected to ethoxylation. · Phenol is also a versatile precursor to a big assortment of medications, most notably aspirin but also a lot of herbicides and pres