Hydroxy group

Patent Pending A hydroxyl is a chemical functional group containing an oxygen atom connected by a covalent bond to a hydrogen atom, a pairing that can be simply understood as a substructure of the water molecule. When it appears, it imparts to chemical structures some of its reactive and interactive properties. Note that -OH should not be confused with the hydroxide ion of water (OH-, associated with ionizability, hydrogen bonding, etc.)[clarification needed] The neutral form of the hydroxyl group is a hydroxyl radical. The anion form, (OH−), is called the hydroxide anion; it bears a single negative charge largely residing on the more electronegative oxygen.