Skip to main content
Chemistry LibreTexts

1.1: Functional Groups in Organic Compounds

  • Page ID
    227523
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Learning Objectives

    • to describe functional groups and explain why they are useful in the study of organic chemistry.

    We first introduced the idea of the functional group, a specific structural arrangement of atoms or bonds that imparts a characteristic chemical reactivity to the molecule. If you understand the behavior of a particular functional group, you will know a great deal about the general properties of that class of compounds. Some common functional groups are listed in Table \(\PageIndex{1}\).

    Last semester, we studied alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic, alcohols, thiols, ethers, and phenols. This semester, we will begin with aldehydes and ketones as our first functional groups

    Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): Selected Organic Functional Groups
    Name of Family General Formula Functional Group Suffix*
    alkane RH none -ane
    alkene R2C=CR2 alkene.jpg -ene
    alkyne RC≡CR –C≡C– -yne
    alcohol ROH –OH -ol
    thiol RSH –SH -thiol
    ether ROR –O– ether
    aldehyde aldehyde formula.jpg aldehyde functional group.jpg -al
    ketone ketone formula.jpg ketone functional group.jpg -one
    carboxylic acid carboxylic acid formula.jpg carboxylic acid functional group.jpg -oic acid
    *Ethers do not have a suffix in their common name; all ethers end with the word ether.

    Summary

    The functional group, a structural arrangement of atoms and/or bonds, is largely responsible for the properties of organic compound families.

    Concept Review Exercises

    1. What is the functional group of an alkene? An alkyne?

    2. Does CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3 have a functional group? Explain.

    Answers

    1. carbon-to-carbon double bond; carbon-to-carbon triple bond

    2. No; it has nothing but carbon and hydrogen atoms and all single bonds.

    Exercises

    1. What is the functional group of 1-butanol (CH3CH2CH2CH2OH)?

    2. What is the functional group of butyl bromide, CH3CH2CH2CH2Br?

    Answer

    1. OH


    1.1: Functional Groups in Organic Compounds is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

    • Was this article helpful?