

Epoxides are notable cyclic ethers, as they have an oxygen atom and two carbon atoms in a three-atom ring structure. However, the oxygen is replaced with a sulfur atom.Ĭyclic ethers have an oxygen atom in a hydrocarbon ring. Sulfides are structurally similar to ethers. Dimethyl ether and ethanol are said to be isomers: they are different compounds with different functional groups (the O ether group and the OH alcohol. Some functional groups, such as ethers, are connected to more than one hydrocarbon chain through an electronegative oxygen atom. The sulfur analog of an alcohol is called a thiol, with an ‒SH functional group. Alcohols can be classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary, depending on the number of carbon atoms bonded to the carbon bearing the -OH group. For example, haloalkanes, or alkyl halides, have an alkyl carbon bonded to one or more electronegative halogen atoms as the functional group.Īlcohols contain the hydroxyl or ‒OH functional group with the carbon bonded to the electronegative oxygen. Many functional groups are connected to the alkyl carbon atom by a single bond to an electronegative atom. Though they replace hydrogens with carbon–carbon multiple bonds, these double and triple bonds contribute significantly towards chemical reactivity. Alkenes have double bonds, while alkynes have triple bonds. Organic compounds with carbon–carbon multiple bonds as functional groups include alkenes and alkynes. Accordingly, the hydrocarbon portions of the functionalized organic compounds are often abbreviated with the letter ‘R’. Molecules containing the same functional groups often display similar physical and chemical properties.įunctional groups serve as the basis for naming and classifying organic compounds. Functional groups are atoms or groups of atoms within a molecule that exhibit characteristic chemical behavior.
