Other Definitions
alkyl (dict)
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AlkylAn alkyl is a functional group of an organic chemical that contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms, which are arranged in a chain. They have general formula CnH2n+1. Examples include methyl CH3* (derived from methane) and butyl C2H5 (derived from butane). They are not found on their own but are found attached to other hydrocarbons. Naming Alkyls The naming convention for alkyls is much the same as alkanes. The suffix is always -yl. The prefix depends on how many carbon atoms are in the molecule. This uses the same system as for Alkanes as shown in this table (taken from IUPAC nomenclature): | ||2||3||4||5||6||7||8||9||10||11||12 | | refix | Meth | Eth | Prop | But | Pent | Hex | Hept | Oct | Non | Dec | Undec | Dodec | For example, the first three alkyls are called Methyl, Ethyl and Propyl. Structure The structure of an alkyl is the same as its straight chained alkane counterpart but with one too few hydrogen atoms. For example, this is the structure of Methyl, the smallest alkyl: See also
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