CHCH3

CHCH3 is not a standalone substance but a fragment used in structural notation to describe a carbon framework in organic molecules. It denotes a methine carbon (a carbon with one hydrogen, written as CH) bonded to a methyl group (CH3). In skeletal or condensed formulas, these two groups are used to convey how carbon atoms are connected without drawing every bond and hydrogen.

The CH component is called a methine carbon. It is typically tertiary or secondary in many branched alkanes, meaning it is bonded to multiple carbon atoms and bears a single hydrogen. The CH3 component is a methyl group, a carbon attached to three hydrogens. The combination CHCH3 thus represents a carbon center that carries one hydrogen and is linked to a methyl-containing fragment; this arrangement frequently appears in branched hydrocarbon motifs.

Common contexts where CHCH3 appears include isopropyl and related groups. In an isopropyl group, the central carbon is a methine (CH) bonded to two methyl groups (CH3), written as CH(CH3)2. In the isobutane skeleton, (CH3)3CH features a methine carbon attached to three methyl groups and one hydrogen. These fragments are widely used in descriptive formulas, reaction schemes, and some line-angle representations to indicate connectivity rather than full structural detail.

Reactivity and properties associated with CH and CH3 centers follow general hydrocarbon chemistry. The hydrogen on the CH site can be abstracted or substituted in reactions, while the hydrogens on CH3 are typical primary hydrogens that participate in chain-branching or chain-extension processes. Overall, CHCH3 serves as a convenient shorthand for describing how a carbon skeleton is arranged in many branched alkanes.