Vinylialkooli

Vinylialkooli is a term sometimes used in Finnish-language chemical literature to denote vinyl alcohol, the simplest enol with the formula C2H4O. The molecule consists of a vinyl group (CH2=CH–) bearing a hydroxyl group on the same carbon, giving ethenol as the preferred IUPAC name. In practice, vinyl alcohol is highly reactive and unstable at ambient temperatures, quickly undergoing keto–enol tautomerism to acetaldehyde (ethanal). Because of this instability, vinyl alcohol is rarely isolated; it is typically observed only in transient form, in cryogenic matrix isolation, or inferred from spectroscopic data and high-level calculations. Its behavior is of interest for understanding enol chemistry, tautomerism, and the reactivity of vinyl-containing systems.

In nomenclature, the English common name is vinyl alcohol or ethenol. The term vinylialkooli is not widely used in international databases and is mainly found in some Finnish sources as a direct translation of "vinyl alcohol."

Preparation and handling: Because it is a highly reactive intermediate, vinyl alcohol is generated in situ in experimental contexts and is not stored. When observed, it is typically under controlled conditions such as very low temperatures or inert environments, often in matrices or gas phase.

Applications and relevance: Vinyl alcohol serves as a model system for enol chemistry, helping to illustrate tautomerization processes and to benchmark computational methods for enol–keto equilibria. Safety: If encountered as a gas or vapor, it requires proper ventilation and protection due to flammability and reactivity.