What is the IUPAC name of the compound commonly known as allyl alcohol?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The IUPAC nomenclature for allyl alcohol follows systematic rules where the principal functional group alcohol gets the lowest locant on a three-carbon chain containing a double bond, resulting in prop-2-en-1-ol. Alternative names fail to correctly designate the position of both the hydroxyl group and the carbon-carbon double bond. This unsaturated alcohol serves as a valuable precursor in organic synthesis for producing various pharmaceutical and polymer derivatives. Alkenols combine the chemical properties of both alkenes and alcohols in molecular reactions.