An investigation of the reaction of 2-propanol at 25 °C with oxygen atoms in the ground electronic state, O(3P), and, as a corollary, with the excited mercury atoms, Hg 6(3P1), has been carried out. The reaction of oxygen atoms with methanol at 25 °C has also been briefly studied. The general mechanism of reaction of O(3P) atoms with simple alcohols is discussed.