alkanoyl

The alkanoyl group is a type of acyl substituent derived from an alkane. It has the general structure R-CO-, where R is an alkyl group. In this context, the carbonyl carbon is connected to an alkyl group, and the group behaves as a substituent attached to a molecule via the carbonyl carbon. The term is commonly used to distinguish alkyl-derived acyl groups from aryl-derived acyl groups.

Nomenclature and examples: When R is a methyl group (CH3), the alkanoyl group is ethanoyl, commonly called the acetyl group (CH3-CO-). If R is an ethyl group (CH3-CH2-), the group is propanoyl (CH3-CH2-CO-); R = propyl gives butanoyl (CH3-CH2-CH2-CO-), and so on. The systematic name for an alkanoyl group is alkylcarbonyl, while many popular names use the -oyl suffix (e.g., acetyl, propanoyl). In chemical formulas, the alkanoyl fragment is R-CO-, and it forms the acyl portion of compounds such as esters (R-COOR'), amides (R-CO-NR'2), and acyl chlorides (R-COCl).

Relationship to other terms: The broader term acyl is often used interchangeably in practice, with alkanoyl describing acyl groups specifically derived from alkanes. Distinctions are made with arylcarbonyl (derived from arenes) or formyl (H-CO-). The alkanoyl group is a key component in many carbonyl-containing compounds and in standard reactions of acylation and acyl transfer.

In summary, alkanoyl refers to alkyl-derived acyl substituents of the form R-CO-, a fundamental concept in organic synthesis and naming.