Why can't there be a quarternary alcohol?

Answer 1

A carbon atom can form a maximum of four bonds with other atoms. A quaternary alcohol would require carbon to form five bonds: four to other carbon atoms and one to the oxygen of the hydroxyl group.

Answer 2

Quaternary alcohols cannot exist because they would lack a hydrogen atom bonded to the oxygen atom, which is a defining characteristic of alcohols. Without this hydrogen, the compound would not be considered an alcohol.