Funktionsgruppenverträglichkeit

Funktionsgruppe, in chemistry, refers to a specific arrangement of atoms within a molecule that largely determines its chemical reactivity and properties. In organic chemistry, functional groups are the reactive centers responsible for characteristic reactions, while the rest of the molecule, the carbon skeleton, mainly modulates physical properties such as boiling point and solubility. The concept helps chemists predict reaction outcomes and provides a basis for systematic naming and classification.

Common examples of functional groups include hydroxyl (–OH), carbonyl (C=O) in aldehydes and ketones, carboxyl (–COOH), amine (–NH2), nitrile (–CN), halogen substituents (–X, where X is a halogen), ether (–O–), ester (–COOR), amide (–CONH2), thiol (–SH), and sulfide (–S–). Functional groups also encompass phosphate groups (–PO4H2) and others important in biochemistry, such as phosphate esters and amino groups. Their presence often governs acidity or basicity, nucleophilicity, electrophilicity, and overall mechanism of transformation.

Groups can be classified by element (oxygen-, nitrogen-, sulfur-, or halogen-containing) or by function (oxidation state changes, acidity, or nucleophilicity). Functional groups are central to IUPAC nomenclature, retrosynthesis planning, and the interpretation of spectroscopic data. In biological systems, functional groups determine the behavior of biomolecules like amino acids, sugars, and nucleotides, influencing structure, reactivity, and interactions.