C5H11NO2S

C5H11NO2S is the molecular formula for an organic compound or a set of constitutional isomers that share the same counts of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. As a formula, it does not uniquely identify a single substance; multiple structures with different connectivity can have this same composition.

Because the formula contains one nitrogen, two oxygens, and one sulfur, a variety of functional group arrangements are possible. Potential classes of isomers include amine- or amide-containing compounds, hydroxyl-bearing derivatives, carbonyl-containing species such as esters or lactams, and sulfur-containing moieties like thioethers, sulfonamides, or other sulfur-heteroatom linkages. The exact properties and reactivity depend on how these atoms are connected, the presence and position of stereocenters, and whether the molecule forms rings.

In practice, C5H11NO2S serves as a backbone for discussions of isomerism, nomenclature, and structure elucidation. Determining a specific compound with this formula requires identifying the connectivity (the structural isomer) and, if applicable, stereochemistry. Techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, often in combination with computational methods, are used to distinguish among possible isomers.

In databases and chemical catalogs, C5H11NO2S is used as a search criterion to retrieve all compounds that share the same empirical formula. Any practical use, synthesis, or biological activity would pertain to a particular isomer rather than the formula in isolation.