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Methanol consists of a methyl group linked to a polar hydroxyl group. With more than 20 million tons produced annually, it is used as a precursor to other commodity chemicals , including formaldehyde , acetic acid , methyl tert-butyl ether , methyl benzoate , anisole , peroxyacids , as well as a host of more specialised chemicals.
When comparing a polar and nonpolar molecule with similar molar masses, the polar molecule in general has a higher boiling point, because the dipole–dipole interaction between polar molecules results in stronger intermolecular attractions. One common form of polar interaction is the hydrogen bond, which is also known as the H-bond.
In general, the hydroxyl group makes alcohols polar. Those groups can form hydrogen bonds to one another and to most other compounds. Owing to the presence of the polar OH alcohols are more water-soluble than simple hydrocarbons. Methanol, ethanol, and propanol are miscible in water. 1-Butanol, with a four-carbon chain, is moderately soluble.
It can also be defined as a molecule containing a “–CH 2 OH” group. [1] In contrast, a secondary alcohol has a formula “–CHROH” and a tertiary alcohol has a formula “–CR 2 OH”, where “R” indicates a carbon-containing group. Examples of primary alcohols include ethanol and 1-butanol.
It is a very stable group in most molecules. While the methyl group is usually part of a larger molecule, bonded to the rest of the molecule by a single covalent bond (−CH 3), it can be found on its own in any of three forms: methanide anion (CH − 3), methylium cation (CH + 3) or methyl radical (CH • 3).
It includes the general shape of the molecule as well as bond lengths, bond angles, torsional angles and any other geometrical parameters that determine the position of each atom. Molecular geometry influences several properties of a substance including its reactivity , polarity , phase of matter , color , magnetism and biological activity .
The hydroxymethyl group is a substituent with the structural formula −CH 2 −OH.It consists of a methylene bridge (−CH 2 − unit) bonded to a hydroxyl group (−OH).This makes the hydroxymethyl group an alcohol.
The molecule increasingly becomes overall more nonpolar and therefore less soluble in the polar water as the carbon chain becomes longer. [5] Methanol has the shortest carbon chain of all alcohols (one carbon atom) followed by ethanol (two carbon atoms), and 1-propanol along with its isomer 2-propanol , all being miscible with water.