Alkylcarbinol

Alkylcarbinol is a general term used in organic chemistry to refer to a secondary alcohol where the hydroxyl group is attached to a carbon atom that is also bonded to at least one alkyl group and at least one hydrogen atom. This means the carbon bearing the -OH group is bonded to two other carbon atoms. The term is derived from "alkyl" referring to the carbon chain and "carbinol," which is an older name for methanol (CH3OH). In a secondary alcohol like an alkylcarbinol, one of the methyl groups of methanol has been replaced by an alkyl group.

The simplest example of an alkylcarbinol is ethanol (CH3CH2OH), where an ethyl group is attached to the carbinol carbon. Other examples include propan-2-ol (isopropyl alcohol), butan-2-ol, and so on. The properties of alkylcarbinols vary depending on the size and structure of the alkyl group. They are generally polar compounds due to the presence of the hydroxyl group, which allows them to participate in hydrogen bonding. This leads to higher boiling points compared to their corresponding alkanes. Alkylcarbinols are often used as solvents, intermediates in chemical synthesis, and in various industrial applications. Their reactivity is characteristic of secondary alcohols, undergoing oxidation to ketones and dehydration to alkenes.