alkyl group

American

noun

Chemistry.

any of a series of univalent groups of the general formula C n H 2n+1 , derived from aliphatic hydrocarbons, as the methyl group, CH 3 −, or ethyl group, C 2 H 5 −.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

alkyl group

Some hydrocarbons can form more than one type of alkyl group when the hydrogen atoms that would be removed have different “environments” in the molecule.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

Write the structures for all the isomers of the –C5H11 alkyl group.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

As shown in the following compound, the red symbols represent the smaller alkyl group and the oxygen atom, which would be named “methoxy.”

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

The location of an alkyl group on a hydrocarbon chain is indicated in the same way as any other substituent:

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

The hydrogen in the hydroxyl group, as is known, may be substituted by an alkyl group.

From Scientific American Supplement No. 822, October 3, 1891 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023