Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
yl
Suffix in Chemistry
/il/
Definition
A term used in organic chemistry to denote a substituent derived from a parent molecule by removing a hydrogen atom.
Examples
- The methyl group is represented as ‘methyl’ or ‘CH₃-‘, where ‘yl’ signifies the derived substituent.
- An example is ‘phenyl,’ indicating a benzene ring with one hydrogen removed.
- In ‘ethyl,’ the ‘yl’ signifies that it is derived from ethane, removing one hydrogen.
Meaning
In chemical nomenclature, ‘yl’ is often combined with the name of the parent structure to indicate the presence of a functional group.
Synonyms
- Substituent
- Radical
- Functional group
