Alcohol (chemistry)

Ball-and-stick model of an alcohol molecule (R3COH). The red and white balls represent the hydroxyl group (−OH). The three "R"s stand for carbon substituents or hydrogen atoms.[1]

In chemistry, an alcohol (from Arabic al-kuḥl 'the kohl'),[2] is a type of organic compound that carries at least one hydroxyl (−OH) functional group bound to a saturated carbon atom.[3][4] Alcohols range from the simple, like methanol and ethanol, to complex, like sugar alcohols and cholesterol. The presence of an OH group strongly modifies the properties of hydrocarbons, conferring hydrophilic (water-loving) properties. The OH group provides a site at which many reactions can occur.

  1. ^ "alcohols". IUPAC Gold Book. 2014. doi:10.1351/goldbook.A00204. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  2. ^ "The Origin Of The Word 'Alcohol'". Science Friday. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  3. ^ IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. (the "Gold Book") (2025). Online version: (2006–) "Alcohols". doi:10.1351/goldbook.A00204
  4. ^ Saul Patai, ed. (1971). The Hydroxyl Group. PATAI'S Chemistry of Functional Groups. doi:10.1002/9780470771259. ISBN 978-0-470-77125-9.

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