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In Organic Chemistry functional groups are specific groups of Atom s within Molecule s, that are responsible for the characteristic Chemical Reaction s of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction(s) regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of.

The following is a list of common functional groups. In the formulas, the symbols R and R' usually denotes an attached hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon chain of any length, but may sometimes refer to any group of atoms. Below is an image of multiple functional groups found in organic chemistry.











































































































































































































































































































Chemical Class Group Formula Graphical Formula Prefix Suffix
Alcohol Hydroxyl ROH hydroxy- -ol
Aldehyde Aldehyde RCHO oxo- -al
Alkane Alkyl RH alkyl- -ane
Alkene Alkenyl R2C=CR2 alkenyl- -ene
Alkyne Alkynyl RC≡CR' alkynyl- -yne
Amide Carboxamide RCONR2 carboxamido- -amide
Amine s Primary Amine RNH2 amino- -amine
Secondary Amine RNHR' amino- -amine
Tertiary Amine RNR'2 amino- -amine
Azo Compound Azo RN2R'   alkyl(alkyl)diazene
Toluene Derivative Benzyl
RCH2C6H5

RBn
benzyl-  
Carboxylate Carboxylate RCOO



carboxy- -oate
Carboxylic Acid Carboxyl RCOOH
carboxy- -oic acid
Cyanate s Cyanate ROCN isocyanato- alkyl cyanate
Thiocyanate RSCN isothiocyanato- alkyl thiocyanate
Ether Ether ROR' alkoxy- alkyl alkyl ether
Ester Ester RCOOR' -oate
Haloalkane Halo RX halo- alkyl halide
Imine Primary Ketimine RC(=NH)R' imino- -imine
Secondary Ketimine RC(=NR'')R' imino- -imine
Primary Aldimine RC(=NH)H imino- -imine
Secondary Aldimine RC(=NR')H imino- -imine
Isocyanide Isocyanide RNC isocyano- alkyl isocyanide
Isocyanate s Isocyanate RNCO isocyanato- alkyl isocyanate
Isothiocyanate RNCS isothiocyanato- alkyl isothiocyanate
Ketone Ketone RCOR' keto-, oxo- -one
Nitrile Nitrile RCN cyano-
alkanenitrile

alkyl cyanide
Nitro Compound Nitro RNO2 nitro-  
Nitroso Compound Nitroso RNO nitroso-  
Peroxide Peroxy ROOR peroxy- alkyl peroxide
Benzene Derivative Phenyl RC6H5 phenyl- -benzene
Phosphoric Acid Ester Phosphodiester HOPO(OR)2    
Pyridine Derivative Pyridyl RC5H4N







4-pyridyl / pyridin-4-yl

3-pyridyl / pyridin-3-yl

2-pyridyl / pyridin-2-yl
-pyridine
Sulfone Sulfonyl RSO2R' sulfonyl- alkyl alkyl sulfone
Sulfonic Acid Sulfonic Acid RSO3H sulfonyl- alkyl sulfonic acid
Sulfoxide Sulfinyl RSOR' sulfinyl- alkyl alkyl sulfoxide
Thiol Sulfhydryl RSH mercapto-, sulfanyl- -thiol


Combining the names of functional groups with the names of the parent Alkane s generates a powerful Systematic Nomenclature for naming Organic Compound s.

The non-hydrogen atoms of functional groups are always associated with each other and with the rest of the molecule by Covalent Bond s. When the group of atoms is associated with the rest of the molecule primarily by ionic forces, the group is referred to more properly as a Polyatomic Ion or Complex Ion . And all of these are called Radical s, by a meaning of the term ''radical'' that predates the Free Radical .

The first Carbon after the Carbon that attaches to the functional group is called the Alpha Carbon .


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