derivaatti

A derivaatti is a chemical compound that has been derived from another compound by a chemical modification. The derivative generally keeps the core skeleton of the parent molecule while different substituents or functional groups are introduced or altered. Derivatization aims to change properties such as solubility, stability, reactivity, or biological activity.

Derivatives are produced through reactions that modify functional groups, such as esterification, acylation, alkylation, oxidation, reduction, halogenation, and condensation. In many cases a protective strategy is used to enable selective modification at a particular site. The resulting derivative may display different physical, chemical or biological characteristics compared with the original compound.

Applications of derivaatti span several fields. In medicinal chemistry, derivatives of natural products or lead compounds are synthesized to improve potency, selectivity, pharmacokinetic properties, or safety. Prodrugs are a common type of derivative designed to release the active drug inside the body. In analytical chemistry, derivatization improves detectability or separation in techniques such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In materials science and agrochemistry, derivative formation helps tailor performance and activity.

Common examples of derivaatti include esters (from alcohols and carboxylic acids), amides (from carboxylic acids and amines), glycosides (sugar derivatives), and halogenated or otherwise functionalized compounds obtained by targeted substitution. See also derivative (chemistry), derivatization.