Functional Groups (Video Notes) - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key functional groups and related concepts discussed in the video lecture.

Functional group

Reactive part of an organic molecule that determines much of its chemistry; may contain atoms other than C and H or multiple bonds.

R group

Represents the carbon skeleton of a molecule; can be any number of carbons (e.g., 2, 10, 20); the reactive site is usually the functional group, not the R group.

Alkyl halide

R–X where X is a halogen (Cl, Br, I; F is rarely used in lab/paper chemistry); the halogen is the reactive part attached to a carbon chain.

Alkene

Molecule with a carbon–carbon double bond ($C=C$); the reactive functional group is the double bond; ends with the suffix -ene.

Alkyne

Molecule with a carbon–carbon triple bond ($C\equiv C$); the reactive site is the triple bond; ends with the suffix -yne.

Alcohol

Functional group –OH ($R-OH$) attached to a carbon chain; example: 1-butanol.

Ether

R–O–R' linkage where oxygen connects two carbon fragments; common example: diethyl ether.

Thiol

Functional group –SH ($R-SH$) attached to carbon (sulfur analog of alcohol); associated with strong, often rotten-smelling compounds.

Sulfide

R–S–R' (thioether); sulfur atom connects two carbon groups; similar to ether but with sulfur.

Aromatic / arene

Aromatic ring system (e.g., benzene) with delocalized electrons; can bear substituents (e.g., methylbenzene).

Ketone

Functional group with a carbonyl ($C=O$) within the carbon chain; the carbonyl is the reactive site; example: 2-butanone.

Aldehyde

Carbonyl group ($C=O$) at the end of a carbon chain with a hydrogen on the carbonyl carbon (R–CHO); example: butanal.

Carboxylic acid

Functional group –COOH, composed of a carbonyl ($C=O$) and a hydroxyl ($-OH$); the group is called carboxyl; example: pentanoic acid.

Acyl halide

R–CO–X where X is a halogen; carbonyl attached to a halogen (X); example: acetyl chloride.

Anhydride

Condensation product of two carboxylic acids with a central O atom ($R-CO-O-CO-R'$); typically volatile and less stable.

Ester

Functional group ($R-CO-O-R'$) (carbonyl linked to an OR group); example: ethyl acetate.

Imide

Nitrogen-containing functional group with two acyl groups attached to nitrogen (e.g., $R-CO-NH-CO-R'$ or $(R-CO)_2NH$).

Amide

Nitrogen-containing functional group where a carbonyl ($C=O$) is directly bonded to nitrogen ($R-CO-NR'R''$); example: butanamide.

Amine

Nitrogen-containing group with one or more carbon–nitrogen bonds (e.g., $R-NH<em>2$, $R-NHR'$, $R-NR'</em>2$); example: diethylamine.

Carboxyl

The combined term for the carbonyl and hydroxyl components in carboxylic acids ($-COOH$); the group is sometimes referred to by its parts.

Nucleophile

An electron-rich species that seeks an electrophilic center to attack.

Electrophile

An electron-poor species that accepts electrons during a reaction.

Condensed structure

A shorthand representation of a molecule using CH3, CH2, etc., rather than drawing full skeletal structure.

Line structure (skeletal formula)

A simplified structural representation where carbon skeletons are drawn as lines, with implicit hydrogens at vertices.