Hydroxymethyl

Hydroxymethyl in the field of chemistry, particularly in organic chemistry, is the name for a functional group with the structural formula -CH2-OH. The hydroxymethyl group consists of a methylene (-CH2-) group connected to a hydroxy (-OH) group. This makes the hydroxymethyl group an alcohol. The hydroxymethyl group structurally resembles the methoxy group (-O-CH3) that differs only in the attachment site and orientation to the rest of the molecule. However, their chemical properties are different.