FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Functional groups are the characteristic groups in organic molecules that give them their reactivity. In the formulae below, R represents the rest of the molecule and X represents any halogen atom.
Hydrocarbons
H H
R1
C
C
R2
Halogen-containing groups
R1
C
H H
ALKANE
Naming: -ane
e.g. ethane
R4
ALKENE
Naming: -ene
e.g. ethene
R
X
ACYL HALIDE
Naming: -oyl halide
e.g. ethanoyl chloride
R
N
C
R1
ESTER
Naming: -yl -oate
e.g. ethyl ethanoate
N
O
NITROSO
OR2
R1
C
IMINE
O O
S
R1
R2
R2
SULFOXIDE
Naming: sulfoxide
e.g. dimethyl sulfoxide
Ci
Naming: -yne
e.g. ethyne
R1
O
e.g. ethanimine
SULFONE
Naming: sulfone
e.g. dimethyl sulfone
R2
ETHER
Naming: -oxy -ane
e.g. methoxyethane
Sulfur-containing groups
R OH
ARENE
HALOALKANE
ALCOHOL
ALDEHYDE
e.g. ethyl benzene
e.g. chloroethane
e.g. ethanol
e.g. ethanal
Naming: -yl benzene
R1
C
N
R2
O
IMIDE
e.g. succinimide
O
R
OH
SULFINIC ACID
Naming: -sulfinic acid
e.g. benzenesulfinic acid
R2
C
R3
R4
EPOXIDE
Naming: -ene oxide
e.g. ethene oxide
R
N
N+
R3
Naming: -imide
S
O
N–
AZIDE
Naming: halo-
R1
N
R3
R2
AMINE
Naming: -amine
e.g. ethanamine
R
O
C
N
CYANATE
Naming: -yl azide
Naming: -yl cyanate
O O
S
R
OH
O O
S
R2
O
R1
SULFONIC ACID
SULFONATE ESTER
e.g. phenylazide
Naming: -sulfonic acid
e.g. methyl cyanate
Naming: -yl sulfonate
e.g. benzenesulfonic acid e.g. methylmethanesulfonate
Naming: -ol
C
R
R
C
NH2
Naming: -amide
e.g. ethanamide
N
C
O
R
O
N+
e.g. ethyl nitrate
N
R2
ISOCYANATE
AZO COMPOUND
e.g. methyl isocyanate
e.g. azoethane
Naming: -yl isocyanate
R
S
C
N
THIOCYANATE
Naming: thiocyanate
e.g. ethyl thiocyanate
Naming: azo-
R
N
C
R2
R
C
OH
CARBOXYLIC ACID
e.g. propanone
e.g. ethanoic acid
Naming: -one
R
Naming: -yl nitrate
N
C
O
KETONE
S
ISOTHIOCYANATE
Naming: isothiocyanate
e.g. ethyl isothiocyanate
N
O
O–
NITRATE
R1
R1
O
Naming: -oic acid
R1
O
C
C
O
R2
ACID ANHYDRIDE
Naming: -oic anhydride
e.g. ethanoic anhydride
O
O
AMIDE
R
H
Naming: -al
O
Phosphorus-containing groups
O
R X
R
R1
R2
O
R1
ALKYNE
O
Naming: -imine
e.g. nitrosoethane
C R2
R3
Naming: nitroso-
S
R1 C
O
O
C
C
Nitrogen-containing groups
O
R2
R3
Oxygen-containing groups
R C N
O
NITRITE
NITRILE
Naming: -yl nitrite
Naming: -nitrile
e.g. ethyl nitrite
R
e.g. ethanenitrile
SH
R1
THIOL
Naming: -thiol
S
R2
SULFIDE
Naming: sulfide
e.g. methanethiol
e.g. dimethyl sulfide
S
S
C
C
R
R1
H
THIAL
Naming: -thial
e.g. ethanethial
R2
THIOKETONE
Naming: -thione
e.g. propanethione
© Andy Brunning/Compound Interest 2020 - www.compoundchem.com | Twitter: @compoundchem | FB: www.facebook.com/compoundchem
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R
N+
O–
NITRO
Naming: nitro-
e.g. nitromethane
R1
S
R2
S
DISULFIDE
Naming: disulfide
e.g. dimethyl disulfide
R1
P
R3
R2
PHOSPHINE
Naming: phosphane
e.g. methylphosphane
BY
NC
ND