Functional Groups

Organic Functional Groups

  • C-C Bonds

    • Major type of bond in organic compounds.

  • C-O Bonds

    • Present in alcohols, ethers, and ketones.

  • C-S Bonds

    • Found in thiols and thioethers.

Classes of Organic Compounds

  • Alkane

    • General formula: H3C-CH3

    • Saturated hydrocarbons with single bonds.

  • Alcohol (R-OH)

    • Characterized by the hydroxyl (-OH) group.

  • Thiol (R-SH)

    • Contains a sulfur atom paired with a hydrogen atom.

  • Ether (R-O-R')

    • Contains an oxygen atom bonded to two alkyl or aryl groups.

  • Thioether (R-S-R')

    • Similar to ethers, but sulfur is the central atom.

Alkenes and Alkynes

  • Alkene

    • Contains a C=C double bond.

    • Z Alkenes

    • May denote stereochemistry in alkenes.

  • Alkyne

    • Contains a C≡C triple bond.

    • Terminal Alkyne

    • Has the triple bond at the end of the carbon chain.

    • Internal Alkyne

    • Has the triple bond between carbons in the chain.

Carbonyl Compounds

  • Aldehyde (RCHO)

    • Contains a carbonyl group (C=O) at the end of a carbon chain.

  • Ketone (R-CO-R')

    • Carbonyl group located within the carbon chain.

  • Carboxylic Acid (R-COOH)

    • Characterized by a carboxyl (-COOH) functional group.

  • Ester (RCOOR')

    • Derived from carboxylic acids and an alcohol.

  • Amide (RCONR')

    • Contains a carbonyl group bonded to a nitrogen atom.

Nitrile and Other Functional Groups

  • Nitrile (R-C≡N)

    • Contains a cyano group (-C≡N).

  • Arene

    • Aromatic hydrocarbons characterized by alternating double bonds.

Substituent Descriptors

  • Primary (1°)

    • Refers to a carbon attached to only one other carbon.

  • Secondary (2°)

    • A carbon attached to two other carbons.

  • Tertiary (3°)

    • A carbon attached to three other carbons.

Additional Notes

  • Acyl Group

    • Derived from a carboxylic acid by removing the hydroxyl group.

  • Halides (R-X)

    • Organic compounds where halogens replace one or more hydrogen atoms.

Key Notations

  • Denotes the 'Carbonyl Carbon'

    • Important for identifying functional groups and reactivity.