Primary alcohol explained

A primary alcohol is an alcohol in which the hydroxy group is bonded to a primary carbon atom. It can also be defined as a molecule containing a “–CH₂OH” group.^[1] In contrast, a secondary alcohol has a formula “–CHROH” and a tertiary alcohol has a formula “–CR₂OH”, where “R” indicates a carbon-containing group.

Examples of primary alcohols include ethanol and 1-butanol.

Methanol is also generally regarded as a primary alcohol,^{[2] [3]} including by the 1911 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.^[4]

See also

• Alcohol (especially Nomenclature section for discussion on Secondary and Tertiary alcohols.)
• Oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids

Notes and References

1. Web site: Definition: primary alcohol from Online Medical Dictionary . 2007-11-22 .
2. Web site: Introducing Alcohols . Jim Clark (2015). 2023-09-29 .
3. Book: Albert S. Tarendash . Let's review: chemistry, the physical setting . Barron's . Boston, Mass . 2001 . 0-7641-1664-9 . 161 .
4. Alcohols . 1 . 527.