Isobutylsubstituted

Isobutylsubstituted is a descriptor used in organic chemistry to indicate that a molecule carries an isobutyl group as a substituent attached to a parent structure. The isobutyl group, formally known as the 2-methylpropyl group, has the structural formula CH3-CH(CH3)-CH2-. The attachment to the parent molecule occurs via the terminal carbon of the substituent, the CH2 group, so the substituent is described as -CH2-CH(CH3)2.

Naming and terminology

In IUPAC nomenclature, the isobutyl substituent is more precisely named 2-methylpropyl. The common name is isobutyl. When naming a compound, the parent compound is identified first, followed by the substituent name, for example isobutylbenzene (benzene ring with an isobutyl group), or isobutyl chloride (2-methylpropyl chloride). The term isobutylsubstituted may appear in older literature or in more informal contexts to emphasize the presence of an isobutyl group on a larger molecule.

Structural and property notes

The isobutyl group is a branched butyl substituent. It increases the hydrophobic character of a molecule relative to a straight-chain alkyl substituent of comparable size and can influence steric properties and reactivity at the substitution site. The isobutyl group is not itself chiral.

Applications

Isobutyl-substituted compounds occur in organic synthesis, pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and materials science. Examples include isobutylbenzene and various 2-methylpropyl derivatives used as intermediates or functional components.

See also

2-methylpropyl, isobutyl group, tert-butyl, sec-butyl.

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