Caffeyl alcohol is the

organic compound Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...

with the formula (HO)₂C₆H₃-4-CHCHCH₂OH. This colourless solid is related to

catechol Catechol ( or ), also known as pyrocatechol or 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is the ''ortho'' isomer of the three isomeric benzenediols. This colorless compound occurs naturally in trace amounts. It ...

by attachment to

allyl alcohol Allyl alcohol (IUPAC name: prop-2-en-1-ol) is an organic compound with the structural formula . Like many alcohols, it is a water-soluble, colourless liquid. It is more toxic than typical small alcohols. Allyl alcohol is used as a precursor to ...

. It is the precursor to one of the three principal lignols.

Preparation and occurrence

In the laboratory, caffeyl alcohol can be synthesized from 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. It is an intermediate in the

biosynthesis Biosynthesis, i.e., chemical synthesis occurring in biological contexts, is a term most often referring to multi-step, enzyme-Catalysis, catalyzed processes where chemical substances absorbed as nutrients (or previously converted through biosynthe ...

coniferyl alcohol Coniferyl alcohol is an organic compound with the formula HO(CH3O)C6H3CH=CHCH2OH. A colourless or white solid, it is one of the monolignols, produced via the phenylpropanoid biochemical pathway. When copolymerized with related aromatic compound ...

, the conversion being effected by caffeate O-methyltransferase.

Related compounds

Two related compounds are caffeyl aldehyde and

caffeic acid Caffeic acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a polyphenol with a key role in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in energy metabolism. Caffeic acid is also one major polyphenol responsible for maintaining normal le ...

, the latter also being a minor component of coffee.Rinantonio Viani, Marino Petracco “Coffee” in Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry” Wiley-VCH, 2007, Weinheim.

References

Phenylpropanoids Primary alcohols