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Although each of the functional groups introduced above has a characteristic set of favoured reactions, it is not always possible to predict the properties of organic compounds that contain several different functional groups. In polyfunctional organic compounds, the functional groups often interact with one another to impart unique reactivity patterns to the compounds. As chemistry…

The conjunction of a carbonyl and a hydroxyl group forms a functional group known as a carboxyl group. The hydrogen of a carboxyl group can be removed (to form a negatively charged carboxylate ion), and thus molecules containing the carboxyl group have acidic properties and are generally known as carboxylic acids. Vinegar is a 5 percent solution…

When an oxygen atom forms a double bond to a carbon atom, a carbonyl functional group is obtained. The carbon atom of a carbonyl group is bonded to two other atoms in addition to the oxygen atom. A wide range of functional groups are produced by the presence of different atomic groupings on the carbon of the…

Halides, or organohalides, are compounds that contain a halogen atom (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine) bonded to a carbon atom by a polar bond. The slightly positive charge that exists on the carbon atom in carbon-halogen bonds is the source of reactivity of halides. A wide variety of organohalides have been discovered in marine organisms,…

Amines are functional group compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom bonded to hydrogen atoms or to alkyl or aryl groups. If the substituents (other than hydrogen atoms) are alkyl groups, the resulting compounds are termed alkyl amines. If one or more substituents is an aryl group, the compounds are termed aryl amines. Amines are commonly…

A thiol is structurally similar to an alcohol but contains a sulfur atom in place of the oxygen atom normally found in an alcohol. The outstanding feature of thiols is their foul smell. The simplest thiol is hydrogen sulfide, H2S, the sulfur analog of water. It can be detected by the human nose at a concentration of a…

An organic molecule in which an oxygen atom is bonded to two carbon atoms through two sigma bonds is known as an ether. Ether molecules occur widely in nature. Diethyl ether was once widely used as an anesthetic. An aromatic ether known as Nerolin II (2-ethoxynaphthalene) is used in perfumes to impart the scent of orange…

An oxygen atom normally forms two σ bonds with other atoms; the water molecule, H2O, is the simplest and most common example. If one hydrogen atom is removed from a water molecule, a hydroxyl functional group (―OH) is generated. When a hydroxyl group is joined to an alkane framework, an alcohol such as ethanol, is produced. When the hydroxyl group…

A distinctive set of physical and chemical properties is imparted to molecules that contain a functional group composed of three pairs of doubly bonded atoms (usually all carbon atoms) bonded together in the shape of a regular planar (flat) hexagon. The hexagonal ring is usually drawn with an alternating sequence of single and double bonds. The molecule benzene, C6H6,…

Molecules that contain a triple bond between two carbon atoms are known as alkynes. The triple bond is made up of one σ bond and two π bonds. As in alkenes, the π bonds constitute regions of increased electron density lying parallel to the carbon-carbon bond axis. Carbon-carbon triple bonds are very strong bonds, but reactions do…