CHAPTER 15 ALCOHOLS DIOLS, AND THIOLS next several chapters deal with the chemistry of various oxygen-containing tional groups. The interplay of these important classes of compounds--alco- ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and derivatives of carboxylic Undamental to organic chemistry and biochemistry. ROH ROR RCH RCR RCOH Alcohol Ether Aldehyde Ketone Carboxylic acid We'll start by discussing in more detail a class of compounds already familiar to us,alcohols. Alcohols were introduced in Chapter 4 and have appeared regularly since then. With this chapter we extend our knowledge of alcohols, particularly with respect to their relationship to carbonyl-containing compounds. In the course of studyi hols. we shall also look at some relatives diols are alcohols in which two groups(-OH) are present; thiols are compounds that contain an-SH group Phenols, compounds of the type ArOH, share many properties in common with alcohols but are ufficiently different from them to warrant separate discussion in Chapter 24 This chapter is a transitional one. It ties togethe ch of the earlier and sets the stage for our study of other oxygen-containing functional groups in the chapters that follow 15.1 SOURCES OF ALCOHOLS Until the 1920s, the major source of methanol was as a byproduct in the production of charcoal from wood-hence the name wood alcohol. Now most of the more than 10 579 Back Forward Main MenuToc Study Guide ToC Student o MHHE Website579 CHAPTER 15 ALCOHOLS, DIOLS, AND THIOLS The next several chapters deal with the chemistry of various oxygen-containing functional groups. The interplay of these important classes of compounds—alco￾hols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and derivatives of carboxylic acids—is fundamental to organic chemistry and biochemistry. We’ll start by discussing in more detail a class of compounds already familiar to us, alcohols. Alcohols were introduced in Chapter 4 and have appeared regularly since then. With this chapter we extend our knowledge of alcohols, particularly with respect to their relationship to carbonyl-containing compounds. In the course of studying alco￾hols, we shall also look at some relatives. Diols are alcohols in which two hydroxyl groups (±OH) are present; thiols are compounds that contain an ±SH group. Phenols, compounds of the type ArOH, share many properties in common with alcohols but are sufficiently different from them to warrant separate discussion in Chapter 24. This chapter is a transitional one. It ties together much of the material encountered earlier and sets the stage for our study of other oxygen-containing functional groups in the chapters that follow. 15.1 SOURCES OF ALCOHOLS Until the 1920s, the major source of methanol was as a byproduct in the production of charcoal from wood—hence, the name wood alcohol. Now, most of the more than 10 ROH Alcohol ROR Ether RCH O X Aldehyde RCR O X Ketone RCOH O X Carboxylic acid Back Forward Main Menu TOC Study Guide TOC Student OLC MHHE Website