Diol

A diol is an organic compound containing two hydroxyl groups, attached either to the same carbon atom or to different carbon atoms.

Hydroxyl group: A functional group consisting of an oxygen atom bonded to a hydrogen atom, written –OH. Each diol contains exactly two of these groups.
Vicinal diol: A diol with hydroxyl groups on adjacent carbon atoms. This arrangement enables distinctive cleavage and complex-forming reactions.
Ethylene glycol: The simplest stable vicinal diol, with two carbon atoms and a hydroxyl group on each. It is a major diol feedstock and the principal ingredient in many antifreezes.
Triol: An organic compound containing three hydroxyl groups. A triol has one more hydroxyl group than a diol.
Alcohol (chemistry): An organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bonded to a saturated carbon atom. Diols are alcohols with two hydroxyl groups.
Geminal diol: A compound with two hydroxyl groups attached to the same carbon atom. It is the same-carbon arrangement allowed by the diol definition.
Propylene glycol: A three-carbon diol used as a solvent, humectant, and chemical feedstock. Its two hydroxyl groups support uses in formulations and manufacturing.
Ether: An organic compound containing an oxygen atom bonded to two carbon atoms. Ether linkages lack the O–H bonds that define diols.
Organic compound: A chemical compound built primarily from carbon atoms, often bonded to hydrogen and other elements. Diols belong to this broad class of carbon compounds.
Periodic acid cleavage: A reaction that cleaves a carbon–carbon bond between hydroxyl-bearing carbons using periodic acid or periodate. Vicinal diols undergo this reaction to form carbonyl compounds.

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