Organic Chemistry: Functional Groups
Organic Chemistry Problems Functional Group Problems
A functional group is an attachment onto the end of a carbon chain just like a suffix on a word. An example is an alcohol. You would attach an OH on the end of the carbon chain like this:
CH3OH CH3-O-H
The functional groups are as follows:
| Class | Example | Suffix | Functional Group | Explanation |
| Alcohol | CH3OH | -ol |  |
Chain of Carbons which is attached to OH at the end of the chain |
| Aldehyde | Formaldehyde
CC(=O)CC Propanal CCC=O |
-al |  |
Oxygen not attached to chain but above or below the chain |
| Cycloalkane | CnH2n
C3H6 |
None
Prefix is cyclo- |
 |
Carbon rings |
| Amine | H3CNH2 | -amine |  |
Chain of Carbons attached to NH2 at the end of the chain |
| Carboxylic Acid | Formic
Acid
Acetic Acid |
-oic acid |  |
Double bonded O and single bonded O attached to a hydrogen |
| Ester |
an acid and an alcohol combine Ethyl acetate CC(=O)OCC
|
....yl ....ate
alcohol part acid part |
 |
Double bonded O is not on the chain but single bonded is |
| Ether | Dimethyl
Ether
COC Diethyl Ether CCOCC |
add "ether" at the end |  |
A Carbon chain with one Oxygen atom not located at the end. |
| Ketone | Acetone
CC(=O)C 2-butanone CC(=O)CC |
-one |  |
Oxygen is doubly bonded on first C and not on the chain. |
| Alkane | CnHn+2
CH4 C2H6 |
-ane |  |
C-C single bonds. All C atoms surrounded by four single bonds. |
| Alkene | CnH2n
C2H4 C3H6 |
-ene |  |
Double bonded Carbon chain with 2 single bonds. |
| Alkyne | CnHn-2
C2H2 C4H6 |
-yne |  |
Triple bonded Carbon chain with one single bond. |
| Benzene
"Aromatic" |
C6H6 | None Prefix is: ortho para meta |
 |
Carbon
rings with alternating single and double bonds.
Para-across Ortho-adjacent Meta-every other |
Prefix and Carbon Chains
|
Number of Carbons |
Prefix |
Number of Carbons |
Prefix |
Number of Carbons |
Prefix |
|
1 |
meth |
5 |
pent |
9 |
non |
|
2 |
eth |
6 |
hex |
10 |
dec |
|
3 |
prop |
7 |
hept |
11 |
undec |
|
4 |
but |
8 |
oct |
12 |
dodec |