Functional Groups

• Functional group is a group of atoms within a compound that is responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of that compound.
• Functional groups also play an important part in organic compound nomenclature, combining the names of the functional groups with the names of the parent alkanes provides a way to distinguish compounds.
• Alcohols are characterized by the presence of an - OH group, represented by the formula R - OH where R - is an alkyl.
• Alcohols have higher boiling points compared to parent alkanes, are polar in nature by ΔEN between C and O atoms, and in a reaction, alcohols cannot leave the molecule by themselves.
• In the presence of a strong base, alcohols can be deprotonated.
• Alkyl halides are used in pesticides.
• Some alkyl halides are less toxic and have high heat of vaporization.
• Halogen imparts reactivity to alkyl halides.
• Alkyl halides are used in freons.
• Alkyl halides have higher boiling and melting point than their component alkanes.
• Alkyl halides are less flammable as compared to its component alkanes.
• Alkyl halides are used in degreasers and dry cleaning fluid.
• Water is phobic.
• Alkanes impart odorlessness and colorlessness to alkyl halides.
• The terminal “ - e” of the parent carbon chain (alkane, alkene, or alkyne) is dropped and “ - ol ” is added as the ending in the naming of alcohols.
• Alcohols are used in beverages, antifreeze, antiseptics, and fuels, are used as preservatives for specimens in science, and are used as reagents and solvents in industries.
• Ethers are characterized by an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups, represented by the formula R - O - R’ where R is a substituent that can be the same or not.
• Ethers are nonpolar due to the presence of an alkyl group on either side of the central oxygen, have lower boiling points, are more polar than alkenes, but not as polar as esters, alcohols or amides of comparable structures, have relatively low chemical reactivity, and form peroxides in the presence of oxygen or air.
• In the naming of ethers, identify the alkyl groups on either side of the oxygen atom in alphabetical order, then write “ether”.
• Carboxylic acids are used as food preservatives, in treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and in making perfumes.
• Ethers are used as general anaesthetics in surgery, solvents for fats and oils, solvents for varnishes and lacquers, and as propellants for aerosol sprays.
• Aldehydes are polar molecules with lower boiling point than alcohols and higher boiling point than ether, have smaller aldehyde molecules with irritating odor and larger aldehyde molecules with flowery odors, and their solubility decreases as molar mass increases.
• Amines are characterized by the presence of a nitrogen atom, a lone pair of electrons, and three substituents (R), and have an unpleasant odor, are soluble in water, reactive due to basicity/weak base, and reactive with metal ions.
• Uses of amines include starting materials for dyes, gas treatment in the removal of CO2 from combustion gases, making artificial fibers, and aromatic amines are used in detergent production.
• Carboxylic acids are organic acids that contain a carbon atom that participates in both a hydroxyl and a carbonyl functional group, with a carboxyl group (COOH) being a functional group consisting of a carbonyl group (C=O) with a hydroxyl group (O-H) attached to the same carbon atom.
• Uses of alkyl halides include insect repellant, used as color in crayons, pencils, inks, used in plastic and rubber industry.
• Aldehydes contain a carbonyl group (C=O) with the central carbon bonded to a hydrogen and R group, and the carbonyl is placed at the end of the carbon skeleton rather than between two carbon atoms of the backbone.
• Uses of amides include insect repellant, color in crayons, pencils, inks, used in plastic and rubber industry.
• Ketones are characterized by an oxygen atom joined to a carbon atom by a double bond, with the carbonyl functional group (C=O) placed within a molecule.
• The nomenclature of esters is derived from the parent alcohol and acid, changing the -anol ending of alcohol to -yl and the -oic ending of carboxylic acid to -oate.
• Ketones are polar due to the carbonyl group and can interact with other compounds through hydrogen bonding, are soluble in water, more volatile than alcohols and carboxylic acids of comparable molecular weights, and their nomenclature involves changing the suffix of the parent carbon molecule to “-one” and specifying the position of the ketone if necessary.
• Pain killers are used in latex paint and adhesives.
• Carboxylic acids are weak acids, react slowly with metals, bases and carbonates, have higher boiling point than alcohols, and their nomenclature involves dropping the suffix “e” of the parent alkane and adding the suffix “-oic acid”.
• Uses of esters include food flavoring, perfumes and cosmetics, and biodiesel (methyl ester).
• Aldehydes are named by dropping the suffix “e” of the parent alkane and adding the suffix “-al”.
• Amides are organic compounds containing nitrogen, with the -NH2 group directly attached to the carbonyl group (C=O), have high boiling point and melting point, are weak base, less reactive than esters, and the suffix “-amide” is used in the naming.
• Aldehydes are used as disinfectants, for treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and in making perfumes.
• Alkyl Halides are organic compounds containing halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine), formed by replacing one or more hydrogen atoms in an alkane with halogen atoms, and have high boiling point and melting point, are weak base, less reactive than esters, and the suffix “-halide” is used in the naming.
• Esters are produced from the condensation of an alcohol with a carboxylic acid and are derivatives of carboxylic acids where the hydroxyl (OH) group has been replaced by an alkoxy (O-R) group.
• The nomenclature of amines involves the prefix “amino-” or the suffix “-amine” and for multiple amino groups, the prefixes di, tri, tetra, etc. are used.