Acyl

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In chemistry, the terms acyl or acyl group refer to a functional group obtained from an acid by removal of a hydroxyl group.

Contents

[edit] Chemistry

Most commonly, the acyl group is derived from a carboxylic acid of the form RCOOH. It therefore has the formula RC(=O)-, with a double bond between the carbon and oxygen atoms (i.e. a carbonyl group), and a single bond between R and the carbon.

Acyl groups can also be derived from other types of acids such as sulfonic acids, phosphonic acids, and some others.

Acyl groups can be used in Friedel-Crafts acylation.

[edit] Biochemistry

Acyl-CoA is a derivate of fatty acid metabolism.

[edit] Examples

The names of acyl groups are typically derived from the corresponding acid by substituting the acid ending -ic with the ending -yl as shown in the table below. Note that methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl etc. end in -yl are not acyl but alkyl groups, derived from alkanes.

Acyl group name
(R-CO-)
Corresponding carboxylic acid name
(R-CO-OH)
common systematic common systematic
formyl methanoyl formic acid methanoic acid
acetyl ethanoyl acetic acid ethanoic acid
propionyl propanoyl propionic acid propanoic acid
benzoyl benzoic acid
acryl propenoyl acrylic acid propenoic acid

[edit] Acyloxy

In acyloxy groups the acyl group is bonded to oxygen: R-C=O-O-R' where R-C=O is the acyl group.

[edit] External links