Oxalcohol

Oxalcohol is a term that can refer to different chemical compounds depending on the context. In organic chemistry, it is most commonly used to describe an alcohol that is also an aldehyde or a ketone. This means the molecule contains both a hydroxyl group (-OH) and a carbonyl group (C=O). The relative positions of these functional groups determine the specific type of oxalcohol.

For instance, a molecule with a hydroxyl group and a carbonyl group on adjacent carbon atoms is known as a hydroxyaldehyde or a hydroxyketone. A classic example is glyceraldehyde, which is a simple sugar and an important intermediate in metabolism. Another example is dihydroxyacetone, a ketose also involved in metabolic pathways.

In some less common or colloquial uses, "oxalcohol" might refer to a compound that is oxidized, meaning it has undergone a chemical reaction where it loses electrons, often involving the conversion of an alcohol to an aldehyde, ketone, or carboxylic acid. However, the primary chemical definition relates to the presence of both alcohol and carbonyl functionalities within the same molecule. The properties and reactivity of oxalcohols are a combination of those associated with alcohols and aldehydes or ketones.