Alkyl group

In organic chemistry, an alkyl group is an alkane missing one hydrogen.

A cycloalkyl group is derived from a cycloalkane by removal of a hydrogen atom from a ring and has the general formula −CnH2n−1.

In structural formulae, the symbol R is used to designate a generic (unspecified) alkyl group.

For example, nitrogen mustards are well-known alkylating agents, but they are not simple hydrocarbons.

In chemistry, alkyl is a group, a substituent, that is attached to other molecular fragments.

In medicinal chemistry, the incorporation of alkyl chains into some chemical compounds increases their lipophilicity.

However, persistent alkyl radicals with half-lives "from seconds to years" have been prepared.

Alkyl radicals can be generated by a photochemical reaction or by homolytic cleavage.

According to the usual rules of nomenclature, alkyl groups are included in the name of the molecule before the root, as in methylpentane.

[7] This was followed by methyl (Dumas and Peligot in 1834, meaning "spirit of wood"[8]) and amyl (Auguste Cahours in 1840[9]).