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Glite Dictionary
mercapto

mercapto

1 9.9
A part of a chemical name that shows a sulfur and hydrogen group in a molecule
  • other
  • Specialized
: mercapto
  • In organic chemistry, the mercapto prefix is used to indicate a thiol functional group.

Examples

  • The name mercaptoethanol tells chemists that the molecule contains a thiol group.

  • Adding a mercapto group to the compound changed its chemical properties.

  • The compound contains a mercapto group.

  • Is mercapto a common prefix in organic chemistry?

  • The name mercaptoethanol tells chemists that the molecule contains a thiol group.

  • In organic chemistry, the mercapto prefix is used to indicate a thiol functional group.

  • Adding a mercapto group to the compound changed its chemical properties.

Surface Forms

mercapto main

Etymology

The word mercapto comes from the older chemical name mercaptan, a name made because these sulfur compounds seemed to 'capture' mercury and stick to it. So mercapto is the prefix chemists use to show a thiol '–SH' group in a molecule.