Carbonyl group | Aldehydes, Ketones & Organic Compounds

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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/carbonyl-group/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/science/aldehyde" topicid="13527">aldehyde</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/ketone" topicid="315686">ketone</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/metal-carbonyl" topicid="377522">metal carbonyl</a></dd> <dd><a href="/science/functional-group" topicid="222089">functional group</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/carbonyl-group"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref272117"></span>carbonyl group</strong>, in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/organic-chemistry" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">organic chemistry</a>, a divalent chemical unit consisting of a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/carbon-chemical-element" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">carbon</a> (C) and an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/oxygen" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">oxygen</a> (O) <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/atom" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">atom</a> connected by a double bond. The group is a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constituent" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituent" data-type="MW">constituent</a> of carboxylic acids, esters, anhydrides, acyl halides, amides, and quinones, and it is the characteristic functional group (reactive group) of <span id="ref272118"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/aldehyde" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">aldehydes</a> and <span id="ref272119"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/ketone" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">ketones</a>. Carboxylic acids (and their derivatives), aldehydes, ketones, and quinones are also known collectively as carbonyl <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="compounds" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compounds" data-type="MW">compounds</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Because of a difference in the electron <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="affinities" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affinities" data-type="MW">affinities</a> of the carbon and oxygen atoms, the electron pairs that <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constitute" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitute" data-type="MW">constitute</a> the double bond are held closer to the oxygen atom than to the carbon atom; the electron-rich oxygen atom acquires a negative charge and the electron-deficient carbon atom a positive charge. Thus, molecules containing the carbonyl group are polar. Compounds containing a carbonyl group have higher melting and boiling points than hydrocarbons containing the same number of carbon atoms and are more soluble in polar solvents such as water. The carbonyl group can enter into a variety of chemical reactions; nucleophilic reagents (electron-rich reagents) are attracted to the carbon atom, whereas electrophilic reagents (electron-seeking reagents) are attracted to the oxygen atom.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Aldehydes and ketones contain carbonyl groups attached to alkyl or aryl groups and a hydrogen atom or both. These groups have little effect on the electron distribution in the carbonyl group; thus, the properties of aldehydes and ketones are determined by the behaviour of the carbonyl group. In carboxylic acids and their <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="derivatives" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/derivatives" data-type="EB">derivatives</a>, the carbonyl group is attached to one of the halogen atoms or to groups containing atoms such as oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur. These atoms do affect the carbonyl group, forming a new functional group with distinctive properties. </p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":95225,"pageLength":278,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"D","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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