Fluoroalcohol

Fluoroalcohols are organofluorine compounds consisting of an alcohol functional group with at least one C-F bond. These compounds often have distinctive solvent properties.

Perfluoroalcohols
Most primary and secondary perfluoroalcohols are unstable, for example trifluoromethanol eliminates hydrogen fluoride, forming carbonyl fluoride. This reaction is reversible.


 * CF3OH -> COF2 + HF

Stable perfluorinated alcohols include nonafluoro-tert-butyl alcohol ((CF3)3COH) and pentafluorophenol (C6F5OH).

Partially fluorinated alcohols
Numerous partially fluorinated alcohols are known and have useable stabilities. Trifluoroethanol and hexafluoroisopropanol are used as solvents in research. Fluorotelomer alcohols are precursors to perfluorocarboxylic acids. Pirkle's alcohol is used a chiral shift reagent in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.