Alkyl group

An alkyl group is a monovalent substituent derived from an alkane by removing one hydrogen atom. Its general formula is CₙH₂ₙ₊₁ for an acyclic saturated group.

Alkane: A saturated hydrocarbon whose carbon atoms are joined by single bonds. Removing one hydrogen atom from an alkane produces an alkyl group.
Covalent bond: A chemical bond formed when atoms share electron pairs. An alkyl group attaches to the rest of a molecule through a covalent bond.
Alkyl halide: An organic compound in which a halogen is bonded to an sp³-hybridized carbon. Alkyl halides are common substrates for substitution and elimination reactions.
Alkenyl group: A monovalent substituent derived from an alkene by removing one hydrogen atom. Unlike an alkyl group, an alkenyl group contains a carbon–carbon double bond.
Methyl group: The one-carbon alkyl group, with formula CH₃–. Methyl is the simplest alkyl group and illustrates the definition directly.
Inductive effect: A shift in electron density transmitted through sigma bonds because of electronegativity differences. Alkyl groups commonly donate electron density by induction.
Alkylation: A chemical reaction that adds an alkyl group to a molecule. Alkylation deliberately installs the substituent as a synthetic step.
Alkynyl group: A monovalent substituent derived from an alkyne by removing one hydrogen atom. An alkynyl group contains a carbon–carbon triple bond absent from alkyl groups.
Ethyl group: The two-carbon alkyl group, with formula C₂H₅–. Ethyl shows how an alkyl group extends beyond a single carbon.
Hyperconjugation: Electron delocalization involving a sigma bond adjacent to an empty or partly filled orbital or pi system. Adjacent alkyl C–H bonds can stabilize nearby carbocations and alkenes through hyperconjugation.

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