Identifying Functional Groups

Vocabulary flashcards defining functional groups and structural organic terms from the lecture notes.

Functional Group

A structural unit in a molecule responsible for its characteristic behavior under a particular set of reaction conditions.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon functional group containing only single bonds between carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Alkene

An unsaturated functional group characterized by a carbon-carbon double bond ($C=C$).

Alkyne

An unsaturated functional group characterized by a carbon-carbon triple bond ($R-C \equiv C-R$).

Arene

An aromatic hydrocarbon ring system functional group.

Alkyl Halide

A functional group where an alkyl carbon is bonded to a halogen atom.

Alcohol

A functional group containing a hydroxyl group attached to a carbon atom ($C-ÖH$).

Thiol

A functional group containing a sulfhydryl group ($-SH$) attached to a carbon atom.

Ether

A functional group consisting of an oxygen atom connected to two carbon groups.

Nitrile

A functional group containing a carbon-nitrogen triple bond ($R-C \equiv N$).

Aldehyde

A carbonyl-containing functional group with a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen and single-bonded to a hydrogen atom.

Ketone

A carbonyl functional group where the carbonyl carbon is bonded to two carbon groups ($R-C(=O)-R$).

Carboxylic acid

A functional group featuring a carbonyl bonded to a hydroxyl group ($R-CO-H$).

Ester

A functional group featuring a carbonyl bonded to an alkoxy group ($R-CO-R$).

Amide

A functional group consisting of a carbonyl group linked directly to a nitrogen atom.

Acid Chloride

A functional group consisting of a carbonyl group bound to a chlorine atom.

Amine

A nitrogen-containing functional group where nitrogen is bonded to carbon or hydrogen ($C-N-R$).

Anhydride

A functional group containing two acyl groups linked by a central oxygen atom.