5− Justus Liebig. He coined the word from the German name Aether for compound C
2 hours
5-O-C
2 hours
5 (often called "ether" in English, more specifically "diethyl ether"). [15] According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ethyl is an abbreviation of Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, "height") and Greek ὕλη (hýlē, "substance"). [16]
The name ethanol was coined when the International Conference on Chemical Nomenclature held in Geneva, Switzerland, in April 1892 passed a resolution on naming alcohols and phenols. [17]
The word "alcohol" now refers to a broader class of substances in chemical nomenclature, but in common parlance it is still the name for ethanol. It was borrowed in the Middle Ages from the Arabic al-kuḥl, an antimony ore that has been used in cosmetics since ancient times, and retained that meaning in Middle Latin. [18] The use of "alcohol" for ethanol (full "alcohol of wine") is modern, first recorded in 1753. Before the late 18th century, the word "alcohol" usually referred to any sublimated substance.
Ethanol is used in medical wipes for its antiseptic and antifungal properties, and is most commonly used in antibacterial hand sanitizer gels as a preservative. [20] Ethanol kills microorganisms by dissolving membrane lipid bilayers and denaturing proteins, and is effective against most bacteria, fungi, and viruses. However, it is not effective against bacterial spores, but can be relieved by the application of hydrogen peroxide. [21] A 70% ethanol solution is more effective than pure ethanol because ethanol relies on water molecules for optimal antimicrobial activity. Absolute ethanol may inactivate microorganisms without destroying them because alcohol does not fully penetrate the cell membranes of microorganisms. [22][23] Ethanol is also used as a disinfectant and antiseptic because it dehydrates cells by disrupting the osmotic pressure balance on the cell membrane, so water leaves the cell causing cell death.
