{"id":8495,"date":"2014-09-17T15:34:31","date_gmt":"2014-09-17T19:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.masterorganicchemistry.com\/?p=8495"},"modified":"2026-05-03T07:45:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T12:45:43","slug":"alcohols-1-nomenclature-and-properties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.masterorganicchemistry.com\/2014\/09\/17\/alcohols-1-nomenclature-and-properties\/","title":{"rendered":"Alcohols – Nomenclature and Properties"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alcohol Nomenclature, Properties, and Structure<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this next series of posts we are going to discuss the reactions of alcohols<\/b>.<\/p>\n

As a functional group, alcohols are introduced fairly early in organic chemistry. Their reactions, however, are usually not covered until near the end of Org 1 – at least after subjects like substitution and elimination reactions have been explored. That\u2019s because, as we will see, the reactions of alcohols often fall into these categories.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll cover the reactions of alcohols in due course. But today, let\u2019s just get our feet wet by familiarizing ourselves with their structure, nomenclature and physical properties.<\/p>\n

\"summary-properties<\/a><\/p>\n

Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Structure and Nomenclature of Alcohols: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Physical Properties of Alcohols: Hydrogen Bonding<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Physical Properties of Alcohols: Boiling Points<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Alcohols Are “Polar” And Have Considerable Water Solubility<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Quiz Yourself!<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    <\/a>1. Structure and Nomenclature Of Alcohols: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Alcohols are organic molecules containing the \u201chydroxyl\u201d functional group, \u201cOH\u201d directly bonded to carbon. The carbon directly attached to OH is technically called the \u201ccarbinol\u201d carbon, although this nomenclature is often not introduced in introductory classes. The carbinol carbon (carbon attached to OH), however, is the key to understanding the most common\u00a0classifications\u00a0we use for alcohols, that being \u201cprimary\u201d, \u201csecondary\u201d, and \u201ctertiary\u201d alcohols.<\/p>\n

    To determine if an alcohol is primary, secondary, or tertiary, examine the carbon attached to OH<\/strong>. If that carbon is attached to one<\/strong> carbon, the alcohol is primary<\/strong>; two<\/strong>, secondary<\/strong>; three<\/strong>, tertiary<\/strong>. If zero carbons and three hydrogens (a unique situation) it is methanol. Hydroxyl groups attached to aromatic rings are called, \u201cphenols\u201d.<\/p>\n

    \"primary<\/p>\n

    Note that not all functional groups containing OH are alcohols. If the OH is attached to a carbonyl (C=O), that functional group is called a \u201ccarboxylic acid\u201d. OH attached to an alkene is called an \u201cenol\u201d (ene + ol). And there are other funky functional groups such as hydrates (\u201cgeminal diol\u201d) that really belong in a separate category from alcohols themselves.<\/p>\n

    \"not<\/p>\n

    The deeper nomenclature of alcohols is not something I\u2019m going to discuss on this blog at the present. There are all kinds of fantastic videos and resources on the internet that describe the naming of alcohols in detail, and I will happily refer you to those for now.<\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s an example by Leah Fisch, for example.<\/p>\n