Given below are two statements: Statement I : Bromination of phenol in solvent with low polarity such as $$CHCl_3$$ or $$CS_2$$ requires Lewis acid catalyst. Statement II : The Lewis acid catalyst polarises the bromine to generate $$Br^+$$. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below :

Statement I: Bromination of phenol in solvent with low polarity ($$CHCl_3$$ or $$CS_2$$) requires Lewis acid catalyst.

Phenol is a highly activated aromatic ring (due to the $$-OH$$ group donating electron density). Even in low polarity solvents, phenol does NOT require a Lewis acid catalyst for bromination — it reacts directly with $$Br_2$$ to give mono-brominated product (p-bromophenol as the major product). The Lewis acid catalyst is needed for benzene, not phenol. Statement I is false.

Statement II: The Lewis acid catalyst polarises bromine to generate $$Br^+$$.

This is the correct mechanism of Lewis acid catalysed bromination. The Lewis acid (like $$FeBr_3$$ or $$AlBr_3$$) complexes with $$Br_2$$ to generate a highly electrophilic $$Br^+$$ (or its equivalent). Statement II is true.

The correct answer is Option (3): Statement I is false but Statement II is true.