Structure of benzyl alcohol?

What is the structure of benzyl alcohol?

Benzyl alcohol has the chemical structure of a benzene ring (phenyl group) attached to a methanol group. In condensed form, it is:

- C6H5–CH2–OH

This corresponds to phenylmethanol (also called benzenemethanol).

What is its structural formula (expanded)?

You can think of it as:
- A benzene ring: C6H5–
- Connected to a CH2 group
- Ending in an –OH (alcohol) group

So the functional group is the alcohol (–OH) on a benzylic carbon (CH2 attached directly to the ring).

How is benzyl alcohol named in chemical terms?

• IUPAC name: phenylmethanol
  
• Common name: benzyl alcohol
  
• Another synonym you may see: benzenemethanol
  
  

Is it different from benzaldehyde or phenethyl alcohol?

Yes:
- Benzaldehyde is C6H5–CHO (carbonyl formyl group instead of –CH2OH)
- Phenethyl alcohol is C6H5–CH2–CH2–OH (an extra carbon in the side chain compared with benzyl alcohol)

Could you express it as a SMILES string?

A commonly used representation is:
- SMILES: OCC1=CC=CC=C1