hemiacetal
/ˌhɛmiˈæsɪtæl/
noun
- A chemical compound formed when an alcohol reacts with an aldehyde or ketone, containing both an alcohol group and an ether group on the same carbon atom.
- The sugar molecule exists in a cyclic hemiacetal structure in solution.
- Hemiacetals are usually unstable and quickly react further to form acetals.
- In organic chemistry class, we learned how a hemiacetal forms when an aldehyde reacts with an alcohol.