FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Functional groups are the characteristic groups in organic molecules that give them their reactivity. In the formulae below, R represents the rest of the molecule and X represents any halogen atom.
Hydrocarbons Halogen-containing groups Oxygen-containing groups Nitrogen-containing groups Sulfur-containing groups Phosphorus-containing groups

H H O O O O O
R1 R2
R1 C C R2 C C R1 C C R2 R R X R OH C C C R1
C
O
C
R2
H H R3 R4 R H R1 R2 R OH

ALKANE ALKENE ALKYNE ARENE HALOALKANE ALCOHOL ALDEHYDE KETONE CARBOXYLIC ACID ACID ANHYDRIDE
Naming: -ane Naming: -ene Naming: -yne Naming: -yl benzene Naming: halo- Naming: -ol Naming: -al Naming: -one Naming: -oic acid Naming: -oic anhydride
e.g. ethane e.g. ethene e.g. ethyne e.g. ethyl benzene e.g. chloroethane e.g. ethanol e.g. ethanal e.g. propanone e.g. ethanoic acid e.g. ethanoic anhydride

O O O O O O
O N
C C R1 C C R2
R1 R3 C R N+
R N
R C N N+
R1 R2 O O
R X R1 OR2 R3 R4 R2 R NH2 O O– R O–

ACYL HALIDE ESTER ETHER EPOXIDE AMINE AMIDE NITRATE NITRITE NITRILE NITRO
Naming: -oyl halide Naming: -yl -oate Naming: -oxy -ane Naming: -ene oxide Naming: -amine Naming: -amide Naming: -yl nitrate Naming: -yl nitrite Naming: -nitrile Naming: nitro-
e.g. ethanoyl chloride e.g. ethyl ethanoate e.g. methoxyethane e.g. ethene oxide e.g. ethanamine e.g. ethanamide e.g. ethyl nitrate e.g. ethyl nitrite e.g. ethanenitrile e.g. nitromethane

R3 R1
N N O N O N O N S
R N+ R C R C N R2 R SH S R2
R O C N– N O R1 N R1 R2 R1 S
R1 R2 R2 R3

NITROSO IMINE IMIDE AZIDE CYANATE ISOCYANATE AZO COMPOUND THIOL SULFIDE DISULFIDE
Naming: nitroso- Naming: -imine Naming: -imide Naming: -yl azide Naming: -yl cyanate Naming: -yl isocyanate Naming: azo- Naming: -thiol Naming: sulfide Naming: disulfide
e.g. nitrosoethane e.g. ethanimine e.g. succinimide e.g. phenylazide e.g. methyl cyanate e.g. methyl isocyanate e.g. azoethane e.g. methanethiol e.g. dimethyl sulfide e.g. dimethyl disulfide

O O O O O O O O S S
S N P
S S S S S R2 R C R C C C R1 R3
R1 R2 R1 R2 R OH R OH R1 O N S R H R1 R2 R2

SULFOXIDE SULFONE SULFINIC ACID SULFONIC ACID SULFONATE ESTER THIOCYANATE ISOTHIOCYANATE THIAL THIOKETONE PHOSPHINE
Naming: sulfoxide Naming: sulfone Naming: -sulfinic acid Naming: -sulfonic acid Naming: -yl sulfonate Naming: thiocyanate Naming: isothiocyanate Naming: -thial Naming: -thione Naming: phosphane
e.g. dimethyl sulfoxide e.g. dimethyl sulfone e.g. benzenesulfinic acid e.g. benzenesulfonic acid e.g. methylmethanesulfonate e.g. ethyl thiocyanate e.g. ethyl isothiocyanate e.g. ethanethial e.g. propanethione e.g. methylphosphane

© Andy Brunning/Compound Interest 2020 - www.compoundchem.com | Twitter: @compoundchem | FB: www.facebook.com/compoundchem

Ci This graphic is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 licence. BY NC ND