alkyl group
- noun
- /ˈæl.kɪl ɡruːp/
- Specialized
:
grupo alquilo
- In organic chemistry, methyl is the simplest alkyl group.
Examples
-
Substituting an alkyl group for a hydrogen atom can increase the compound's hydrophobicity.
-
The addition of an alkyl group can alter the properties of a molecule.
-
An alkyl group is essential in organic chemistry.
-
The alkyl groups in these molecules determine their properties.
-
In organic chemistry, methyl is the simplest alkyl group.
-
Substituting an alkyl group for a hydrogen atom can increase the compound's hydrophobicity.
-
The addition of an alkyl group can alter the properties of a molecule.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A part of a molecule made of carbon and hydrogen in a chain
A group of carbon and hydrogen atoms that attaches to a molecule with one free bond
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is compositionally transparent: 'alkyl' names a radical derived from aliphatic hydrocarbons and 'group' denotes a bonded assembly, so together they straightforwardly refer to a chemical group constituted by an alkyl radical. This is a regular nominal composition used in chemical nomenclature (and mirrored across languages), so a learner who knows both constituents can derive the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The noun alkyl group comes from chemistry naming: alkyl was formed from the word 'alcohol' by changing the ending to 'yl' to show a part of a molecule, and group means a small set of atoms. Imagine removing one 'hydrogen' from a carbon chain and leaving a little 'handle' on the rest of the molecule; this tiny 'handle' is the alkyl group, so the term now means 'a small group of atoms attached to a molecule'.