Hydroxymethyl

Hydroxymethyl in the field of chemistry, particularly in organic chemistry, is the name for a substituent with the structural formula -CH₂-OH. The hydroxymethyl group consists of a methylene bridge (-CH₂- unit) bonded to a hydroxy (-OH) group. This makes the hydroxymethyl group an alcohol. The hydroxymethyl group has the identical chemical formula with 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.