acyl halide

7.6

An organic compound with a carbon double-bonded to oxygen and attached to a halogen like chlorine or bromine

noun
/ˈeɪsɪl ˈheɪlaɪd/

Specialized

: haluro de acilo

An acyl halide will readily react with water to produce a carboxylic acid.

Examples

Chemists frequently use acyl halide intermediates in the preparation of esters and amides.
The synthesis of an acyl halide often involves reacting a carboxylic acid with thionyl chloride.
An acyl halide is a compound that contains a carbonyl group.
Many acyl halides are used in organic synthesis.
An acyl halide is formed when a carboxylic acid reacts with a halogen such as chlorine.
In organic chemistry, acyl halides are often used as reagents for acylation reactions.
To synthesize an acyl halide, one can use thionyl chloride to convert a carboxylic acid.

Synonyms

acid halide

vsacyl halide

Specialized

8.6

A chemical made from an acid when its OH group is replaced by a halogen like chlorine or bromine

is defined by presence of the –COX group without stressing derivation

Surface Forms

acyl halide singular

acyl halides plural

Morphology

acyl + halide

The term is a transparent chemical compound name: 'acyl' (an acyl group) modifies 'halide' (a halogen-containing species), so the phrase denotes a halide derived from an acyl group (–COX), matching the given definition. Although technical vocabulary, the head–modifier noun composition is regular and predictable, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Acyl halide names a molecule made of an 'acid' part and a halogen. The acyl is the acid piece and the halide is a halogen atom like chlorine that replaces the usual 'OH' in an acid. So imagine an acid where the 'OH' is swapped for chlorine, and that image explains why acyl halides react easily with water.