Vinyylialkooli

Vinyylialkooli, also known as vinyl alcohol or ethenol, is the chemical compound with the formula C2H4O. It is a tautomer of acetaldehyde, meaning it exists in equilibrium with acetaldehyde, with the equilibrium strongly favoring the aldehyde form. In aqueous solution, vinyl alcohol is present in only very small concentrations, typically less than 0.0001%. This instability is due to the weak carbon-oxygen double bond compared to the stronger carbon-oxygen single bond and carbon-hydrogen bond in acetaldehyde.

The primary reason vinyl alcohol is of interest is its role as an intermediate in certain chemical reactions, particularly in the synthesis of polymers. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a synthetic polymer, is derived from the polymerization of vinyl acetate, followed by hydrolysis. While vinyl alcohol itself is not directly polymerized, its theoretical structure is the repeating unit in PVA after the removal of hydrogen atoms. PVA is a water-soluble synthetic polymer with good film-forming, emulsifying, and adhesive properties, finding applications in textiles, paper coatings, adhesives, and as a suspending agent.

Due to its transient nature in most environments, isolating pure vinyl alcohol is extremely difficult. Its existence is primarily theoretical or observed in highly controlled, specialized conditions. The study of vinyl alcohol is therefore more focused on its theoretical properties and its role as a reactive intermediate rather than as a standalone, isolable compound.