Alcohols

**Alcohols**
Nandish Pathak

An alcohol is a hydrocarbon where a hydrogen is replaced by a //hydroxyl// or //alcohol// function group, OH. Alcohols are named by adding the suffix -//ol// to the end of the corresponding alkane (ex: ethan**e** becomes ethan**ol**). They have a polar O-H bond, making them soluble in water and other polar solvents, unlike their hydrocarbon counterparts. Since the OH is polar, alcohols have a high boiling point than their parent alkanes.



**Types of alcohols**

 * Methanol-** The simplest alcohol, it has many important industrial uses and is produced on a large scale. It is formed by having carbon monoxide and hydrogen heated together in the presence of a metal oxide catalyst and can be used as a fuel.


 * Ethanol-** Ethanol is a product of fermentation of carbohydrates like starch and sugar. In the absence of air, yeast cells use carbohydrates to form carbon dioxide and ethanol, which is necessary for growth. this reaction can be carried out to form beer, wine, and other beverages.


 * Phenol-** Phynol is the simplist compound with an OH group attached to an aromatic ring. Having a aromatic ring greatly increases the acidity of the OH group. Phynol is about a million times more acidic in watch than a typical nonaromatic alcohol like ethanol. It is used to make various plastics and dyes and sore throat sprays.