BRAINCAKEAcyl Chlorides
Acyl chlorides are derivatives of carboxylic acids in which the OH group has been replaced by a chlorine atom. Their functional group is -COCl and their general formula is RCOCl.
They are named by replacing the -oic acid ending of the parent acid with -oyl chloride. CH3COCl is ethanoyl chloride and CH3CH2COCl is propanoyl chloride.
Worked example: name CH3CH2CH2COCl. Count the carbons including the C of COCl: there are 4, so the parent acid is butanoic acid and the compound is butanoyl chloride.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
Key terms in this lesson
- nucleophilic addition-elimination
- A two-step mechanism in which a nucleophile first adds to the carbonyl carbon, then a leaving group is eliminated to reform the C=O bond.
More in Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
- Hydrolysis of Esters
- Vegetable Oils and Fats
- Soap Making
- Biodiesel
- Acid Anhydrides
- Nucleophilic Addition-Elimination Mechanism
- Acylation of Water, Alcohols, Ammonia and Amines
- Manufacture of Aspirin
All 16 lessons in Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives · All AQA A-level Chemistry topics