Thionyl
Encyclopedia
The thionyl group is SO, a sulfur
atom plus an oxygen
atom.
It occurs in compounds such as thionyl fluoride
, SOF2.
Thionyl chloride
, SOCl2, is a common reagent used in organic synthesis
to convert carboxylic acid
s to acyl chloride
s.
In organic chemistry
, the thionyl group is known as a sulfoxide group
or sulfinyl group, and has the general structure RS(=O)R'.
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
atom plus an oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
atom.
It occurs in compounds such as thionyl fluoride
Thionyl fluoride
Thionyl fluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula SOF2. This colourless gas is mainly of theoretical interest, but it is a product of the degradation of sulfur hexafluoride, an insulator in electrical equipment. The molecule adopts a pyramidal structure, with C2v symmetry. The S-O and...
, SOF2.
Thionyl chloride
Thionyl chloride
Thionyl chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula SOCl2. It is a reactive chemical reagent used in chlorination reactions. It is a colorless, distillable liquid at room temperature and pressure that decomposes above 140 °C. Thionyl chloride is sometimes confused with sulfuryl...
, SOCl2, is a common reagent used in organic synthesis
Organic synthesis
Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...
to convert carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of at least one carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R-COOH, where R is some monovalent functional group...
s to acyl chloride
Acyl chloride
In organic chemistry, an acyl chloride is an organic compound with the functional group -CO-Cl. Their formula is usually written RCOCl, where R is a side chain. They are usually considered to be reactive derivatives of carboxylic acids. A specific example of an acyl chloride is acetyl chloride,...
s.
In organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
, the thionyl group is known as a sulfoxide group
Sulfoxide
A sulfoxide is a chemical compound containing a sulfinyl functional group attached to two carbon atoms. Sulfoxides can be considered as oxidized sulfides...
or sulfinyl group, and has the general structure RS(=O)R'.