acetol
Acetol is a non-systematic term found in some chemical literature and industry. It does not correspond to a single, universally accepted chemical identity in modern nomenclature. In historical sources, acetol has been used to refer to different substances depending on the author and period. One commonly cited sense is vinyl alcohol (ethenol), CH2=CHOH, a reactive enol that rapidly tautomerizes to acetaldehyde (ethanal). Because vinyl alcohol is unstable under ordinary conditions, the use of the name acetol for it has fallen out of favor and acetaldehyde is typically discussed instead.
In other contexts, acetol has appeared as a trade or brand name for solvents or other industrial
Modern chemical references generally discourage the use of acetol in favor of precise nomenclature. When encountered,