Pentyl group

Pentyl group
Skeletal formula of pentyl with all explicit hydrogens added
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
  • InChI=1S/C5H11/c1-3-5-4-2/h1,3-5H2,2H3 checkY
    Key: BFKVXNPJXXJUGQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  • [CH2]CCCC
Properties
−C5H11
Molar mass 71.1408 g/mol
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Pentyl is a five-carbon alkyl group or substituent with chemical formula -C5H11. It is the substituent form of the alkane pentane.

In older literature, the common non-systematic name amyl was often used for the pentyl group. Conversely, the name pentyl was used for several five-carbon branched alkyl groups, distinguished by various prefixes. The nomenclature has now reversed, with "amyl" being more often used to refer to the terminally branched group also called isopentyl, as in amobarbital.

A cyclopentyl group is a ring with the formula -C5H9.

The name is also used for the pentyl radical, a pentyl group as an isolated molecule. This free radical is only observed in extreme conditions.[1] Its formula is often written "C
5H
11•" or "• ⁠C
5H
11" to indicate that it has one unsatisfied valence bond. Radicals like pentyl are reactive, they react with neighboring atoms or molecules (like oxygen, water, etc.)

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pacansky was invoked but never defined (see the help page).