Aprimary alcohol is analcohol in which thehydroxy group is bonded to aprimary carbon atom. It can also be defined as a molecule containing a "–CH2OH" group.[1]In contrast, asecondary alcohol has a formula "–CHROH" and atertiary alcohol has a formula "–CR2OH", where "R" indicates a carbon-containing group.
Examples of primary alcohols includeethanol,1-propanol, and1-butanol.
Methanol is also generally regarded as a primary alcohol,[2][3] including by the 1911 edition of theEncyclopædia Britannica.[4]
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