Hydroxyl

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the hydroxyl functional group. For the Hydroxyl radical see Hydroxyl radical.

Hydroxyl in chemistry stands for a molecule consisting of an oxygen atom and a hydrogen atom connected by a covalent bond. The neutral form is a hydroxyl radical and the hydroxyl anion is called a hydroxide. When the oxygen atom is linked to a larger molecule the hydroxyl group is a functional group (HO¯ or ¯OH) .

[edit] Hydroxyl group

The term hydroxyl group is used to describe the functional group –OH when it is a substituent in an organic compound. Organic molecules containing a hydroxyl group are known as alcohols (the simplest of which have the formula C_nH_2n+1–OH).

[edit] Hydroxyl radical

Main article: Hydroxyl radical

The hydroxyl radical, ·OH, is the neutral form of the hydroxide ion. Hydroxyl radicals are highly reactive and, as a consequence, short-lived; however, they form an important part of radical chemistry.

[edit] See also

• Hydronium
• Oxide
• Hydroxy