Fluoroalcohols are organofluorine compounds consisting of an alcohol functional group with at least one C-F bond. These compounds often have distinctive solvent properties. [1]
Most primary and secondary perfluoroalcohols are unstable, for example trifluoromethanol eliminates hydrogen fluoride, forming carbonyl fluoride. [2] This reaction is reversible. [3]
Stable perfluorinated alcohols include nonafluoro-tert-butyl alcohol ((CF3)3COH) and pentafluorophenol (C6F5OH).
Numerous partially fluorinated alcohols are known and have useable stabilities. Trifluoroethanol and hexafluoroisopropanol are used as solvents in research. [4] Fluorotelomer alcohols are precursors to perfluorocarboxylic acids. Pirkle's alcohol is used a chiral shift reagent in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.