All Topics  
Methyl group

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Methyl group
 
 
  Topics Methyl group Topic Home

In chemistry
Chemistry

Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions....
, a methyl group is a hydrophobic alkyl
Alkyl

An alkyl is a univalent Radical consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms, arranged in a chain. The Alkyls form homologous series with the general formula CnH2n+1....
 functional group
Functional group

In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules....
 named after methane
Methane

Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula . It is the simplest alkane, and the principal component of natural gas. Methane's bond angles are 109.5 degrees....
 (4). It has the formula
Chemical formula

A chemical formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound, and how the relationship between those atoms changes in chemical reactions....
 -3 and is often abbreviated -Me. Such hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon

In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. With relation to chemical terminology, aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes, alkanes, alkenes and alkyne-based compounds composed entirely of carbon or hydrogen are referred to as "pure" hydrocarbons, whereas other hydrocarbons with bonded com...
 groups occur in many organic compound
Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered Inorganic compound....
s.

Methyl groups can be incorporated into organic compounds by an SN2 reaction
SN2 reaction

The SN2 reaction is a type of nucleophilic substitution, where a lone pair from a nucleophile attacks an electron deficient electrophile center and covalent bond to it, expelling another group called a leaving group....
 on iodomethane
Iodomethane

Iodomethane, commonly called methyl iodide and commonly abbreviated "MeI", is the Organoiodine compound with the formula CH3I. This Density Vapor pressure liquid is related to methane by replacement of one hydrogen atom by an atom of iodine and its Dipole#Molecular dipoles is 1.59 D....
, or by the reaction of methyl lithium
Methyl lithium

Methyllithium is an organolithium reagent with the empirical formula CH3Li. This s-block organometallic compound adopts an oligomeric structure both in solution and in the solid state....
 or MeMgCl with a carbon atom that is substituted with a leaving group
Leaving group

A leaving group in chemistry is an ion or substituent with the ability to detach itself from a molecule. The remaining molecule or fragment remaining is known as the residual or main part....
.
introduction of methyl groups as substituents into a compound usually increases its lipophilicity and reduces its solubility in water.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Methyl group'
Start a new discussion about 'Methyl group'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


In chemistry
Chemistry

Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions....
, a methyl group is a hydrophobic alkyl
Alkyl

An alkyl is a univalent Radical consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms, arranged in a chain. The Alkyls form homologous series with the general formula CnH2n+1....
 functional group
Functional group

In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules....
 named after methane
Methane

Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula . It is the simplest alkane, and the principal component of natural gas. Methane's bond angles are 109.5 degrees....
 (4). It has the formula
Chemical formula

A chemical formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound, and how the relationship between those atoms changes in chemical reactions....
 -3 and is often abbreviated -Me. Such hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon

In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. With relation to chemical terminology, aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes, alkanes, alkenes and alkyne-based compounds composed entirely of carbon or hydrogen are referred to as "pure" hydrocarbons, whereas other hydrocarbons with bonded com...
 groups occur in many organic compound
Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of compounds such as carbonates, simple oxides of carbon and cyanides, as well as the allotropes of carbon, are considered Inorganic compound....
s.

Methyl groups can be incorporated into organic compounds by an SN2 reaction
SN2 reaction

The SN2 reaction is a type of nucleophilic substitution, where a lone pair from a nucleophile attacks an electron deficient electrophile center and covalent bond to it, expelling another group called a leaving group....
 on iodomethane
Iodomethane

Iodomethane, commonly called methyl iodide and commonly abbreviated "MeI", is the Organoiodine compound with the formula CH3I. This Density Vapor pressure liquid is related to methane by replacement of one hydrogen atom by an atom of iodine and its Dipole#Molecular dipoles is 1.59 D....
, or by the reaction of methyl lithium
Methyl lithium

Methyllithium is an organolithium reagent with the empirical formula CH3Li. This s-block organometallic compound adopts an oligomeric structure both in solution and in the solid state....
 or MeMgCl with a carbon atom that is substituted with a leaving group
Leaving group

A leaving group in chemistry is an ion or substituent with the ability to detach itself from a molecule. The remaining molecule or fragment remaining is known as the residual or main part....
.

Reactivity

The introduction of methyl groups as substituents into a compound usually increases its lipophilicity and reduces its solubility in water. It should ease its absorption into biological membranes and make its release into aqueous surroundings more difficult. Incorporating a methyl group into a molecule can have any of three effects, each increasing its reactivity (the rate of its metabolism
Metabolism

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms in order to maintain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments....
):
  1. by oxidizing the methyl group,
  2. by demethylation (the transfer of the methyl group to another compound), or
  3. by reduction
    Reduction

    Reduction, reduced, or reduce may refer to:...
    , reducing the analogue.


The reactivity of a methyl group depends on what it is attached to. When occurring in an alkane
Alkane

Alkanes, also known as paraffins, are chemical compounds that consist only of the elements carbon and hydrogen , wherein these atoms are linked together exclusively by single bonds without any cyclic structure ....
, it is quite unreactive and resists all but the strongest of acids, bases, oxidizing agents, and reducing agents. But, in toluene
Toluene

Toluene, also known as methylbenzene or phenylmethane, is a clear, Water -insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners, redolent of the sweet smell of the related compound benzene....
, C6H5CH3, the methyl group is considerably more reactive, due to the electron-donating propensity of the ring. Electrophilic
Electrophile

In chemistry, an electrophile is a reagent attracted to electrons that participates in a chemical reaction by accepting an electron pair in order to Chemical bond to a nucleophile....
 reagents are then able to attack the methyl group. For example, oxidation with permanganate
Permanganate

A permanganate is the general name for a chemical compound containing the manganate ion, . Because manganese is in the +7 oxidation state, the manganate ion is a strong oxidizing agent....
 converts the methyl group to carboxyl (-COOH), to produce benzoic acid
Benzoic acid

Benzoic acid, C7H6O2 , is a colorless crystalline solid and the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid. The name derived from gum benzoin, which was for a long time the only source for benzoic acid....
.

Methyl radical

The methyl radical is the substance CH3 on its own, with an unpaired electron. Though it readily dimer
Dimer

File:Carboxylic acid dimers.pngA dimer is a chemical or biological entity consisting of two identical subunits called monomers, which are held together by either intramolecular forces or weaker intermolecular forces....
izes to ethane
Ethane

Ethane is a chemical compound with chemical formula C2H6. It is the only two-carbon alkane, that is, an aliphatic hydrocarbon....
, it is stable enough (unlike atomic hydrogen) to be observed as a dilute gas. It can be produced by thermal decomposition of certain compounds, especially those with an -N=N- linkage, which lose the extremely stable dinitrogen molecule on heating.

See also

  • methanol history
    Methanol

    Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula carbonhydrogen3oxygenhydrogen ....
     for the etymology
    Etymology

    Etymology is the study of the roots and history of words; and how their form and meaning have changed over time.In languages with a long detailed history, etymology makes use of philology, the study of how words change from culture to culture over time....
     of methyl