Functional group (chemistry)

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This articla is about the classification in chemistry. For the type of social group see: Functional groups

In organic chemistry functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules, that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction(s) regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of.

The following is a list of common functional groups. In the formulas, the symbols R and R' denote any group of atoms. Below is an image of multiple functional groups found in organic chemistry.

Chemical class	Group	Formula	Graphical Formula	Prefix	Suffix
Alcohol	Hydroxyl	R−OH		hydroxy-	-ol
Alkanes	Methyl	R−CH3		methyl- (similarly for higher alkyl substituents: ethyl, propyl, butyl, etc.)
Alkenes	Vinyl	R−CH=CH−R'		convert the part substituting for alk in the name of the alkane into the alk of the word alkene: ethane/ethene, propane/propene, butane/butene, etc.	-ene
Alkynes	Alkyne	R−C≡C−R'		convert the part substituting for alk in the name of the alkane into the alk of the word alkyne: ethane/ethyne, propane/propyne, butane/butyne, etc.	-yne
Amide	Amide	R−C(=O)N(−H)−R'		name according to the parent amine and acid, respectively: alkyl alkanamide
Amines	primary Amine	R−NH2		amino-	-amine
	secondary Amine	R−N(−H)−R'		amino-	-amine
	tertiary Amine	R−N(−R')−R		amino-	-amine
Azo	Azo	R-N=N-R'	Azo.pngl
	Nitrile	R−C≡N		cyano-
	Nitro	R−NO2		nitro-
	Nitroso	R−N=O		nitroso-
	Pyridyl	R−C5H4N
Carboxylic acid	Carboxyl	R−C(=O)OH non-ionized R−C(=O)O− ionized		carboxy-	-oic acid
Peroxide	Peroxy	R-O-O-R
Carbonyl	Aldehyde	R−C(=O)H			-al
	Ketone	R−C(=O)−R'		keto-	-one
Imine	primary Imine	R−C(=NH)−R'		imino-	-imine
	secondary Imine	R−C(−H)=N−R'		imino-	-imine
Ether	Ether	R−O−R'		named according to the parent alcohols, respectively: alkyl alkyl ether
Ester	Ester	R−C(=O)O−R'		named according to the parent alcohol and acid, respectively: alkyl alkanoate
Halogens	Halogen	F,Cl,Br,etc.		fluoro-, chloro-, bromo-, or iodo- (also halo- for general)	(hal)ide
Isocyanates	Isocyanate	R−N=C=O		alkyl isocyanate
	Isothiocyanate	R−N=C=S		alkyl isothiocyanate
Phenyl	Phenyl	R−C6H5
Benzyl	Benzyl	R−CH2−C6H5		benzyl
	Phosphodiester	R−OP(=O)(−OH)O−R'
Thiol	Sulfhydryl	R−SH			-thiol
	Thioether	R−S−R'

Combining the names of functional groups with the names of the parent alkanes generates a powerful systematic nomenclature for naming organic compounds.

The non-hydrogen atoms of functional groups are always associated with each other and with the rest of the molecule by covalent bonds. When the group of atoms is associated with the rest of the molecule primarily by ionic forces, the group is referred to more properly as a polyatomic ion or complex ion. And all of these are called radicals, by a meaning of the term radical that predates the free radical.

The first carbon after the carbon that attaches to the functional group is called the alpha carbon.

External links

• IUPAC ligand abbreviations (pdf)

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