A General Discussion. As you can see, this is a very specific definition, designed to exclude phenols and enols, which may look similar, but have differing chemical properties. These differences are caused by the fact that the hydroxyl group is bonded to an unsaturated organic group. Some of the most well known alcohol s are naturally occurring. This reaction has been known for centuries, and has been used in beverage making for almost as long.
Ethanol also has a place in modern society too.
It is still used in beers, wines and spirits, but it is also used on a large scale as an industrial solvent, and also as an additive to motor fuel in some of the poorer countries in the world, where there is little money oil. The Naming of Alcohol s. This classification relates to the number of R groups bonded to the hydroxyl-bearing carbon. Number the alkane chain beginning at the end nearest the hydroxyl group. The major properties of alcohol s.