carbonyl vs. carboxyl

carbonyl vs. carboxyl: What's the difference?

Carbonyl describes a chemical group that consists of one atom of carbon double bonded to one atom of oxygen. It occurs in acids, ketones, aldehydes, and their derivatives. Carboxyl describes a chemical group that consists of a carbonyl and a hydroxyl bonded to each other. It is found in, and characteristic of, organic acids.

carbonyl

adjective

  1. containing the carbonyl group.

noun

  1. a compound containing metal combined with carbon monoxide, as nickel carbonyl, Ni(CO) 4 .

carboxyl

adjective

  1. containing the carboxyl group.