Alcohols with More Than One Hydroxyl Group

In the body, similar oxidations are accomplished by enzymes, together with a rather complex coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD (for its structure, see page 547). Oxidation occurs in the liver and is a key step in the body s attempt to rid itself of imbibed alcohol. 

The resulting acetaldehyde—also toxic—is further oxidized in the body to acetic acid and eventually to carbon dioxide and water. 

Alcohols with More Than One Hydroxyl Group 

Compounds with two adjacent alcohol groups are called glycols (page 97). The most important example is ethylene glycol. Compounds with more than two hydroxyl groups are also known, and several, such as glycerol and sorbitol, are important commercial chemicals. 

Some important polyols are ethyleneglycol, glycerol, and sorbitol. 

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Rosins are commonly combined with alcohols with more than one hydroxyl group such as ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol (two hydroxyl groups). 

The simplest example of an alcohol with more than one hydroxyl group is methanediol or methylene glycol, HOCH2OH. The term glycol indicates a diol, which is a substance with two alcoholic hydroxyl groups. Methylene... 

Compounds with more than one hydroxyl group can react with thionyl chloride in a manner different from that of simple alcohols. On reaction with thionyl chloride, butane-1,2-diol gave a single organic product in 85% yield according to the following balanced... 

Aromatic Glycols.—As we have poly-phenols which contain more than one hydroxyl group in the ring so we may have poly-alcohols containing side chains in which more than one hydroxyl group is present. Those with two hydroxyl groups will be phenyl derivatives of the glycols the di-hydroxy aliphatic alcohols. 

The condensation reaction between carboxylic acid and alcohol to form an ester and water is a fundamental chemical reaction, and has been known at least from when the term organic chemistry was coined in the early nineteenth century. From the mid- to late-nineteenth century, studies were carried out on the reactions of compounds containing more than one acid group with compounds containing more than one hydroxyl group. These studies produced the first polyester resins, and lead to the development in the early twentieth century of various thermoset polymers such as the alkyd resins. 

Polyalcohol pa-le- al-ko- h61 (1900) n. Alcoholic or hydroxy compound, containing more than one hydroxyl group. Typical polyalcohols are ethylene glycol with two hydroxyl groups, glycerol with three, and pentaerythritol with four hydroxyl groups. Polyalcohols are sometimes known as poly-hydric alcohols. Syn polyol. 

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