The carbonyl compounds in which carbon of carbonyl group is bonded to carbon or hydrogen and oxygen of hydroxyl moiety (-OH) are known as carboxylic acids, while in compounds where carbon is attached to carbon or hydrogen and nitrogen of -NH₂ moiety or to halogens are called amides and acyl halides respectively.
How do carboxylic acids differ from amides and acyl halides in terms of the carbonyl group’s attachment?
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Carboxylic acids, amides, and acyl halides all contain a carbonyl group, but their attachment to the rest of the molecule differs. In carboxylic acids, the carbonyl group is attached to a hydroxyl (-OH) group, forming the carboxyl functional group (R-COOH). In amides, the carbonyl group is attached to a nitrogen atom (R-CONH2), and in acyl halides, it is attached to a halogen atom (R-COCl). While carboxylic acids and amides have a hydrogen atom directly attached to the carbonyl carbon, acyl halides have a chlorine, bromine, or other halogen in that position, imparting distinct chemical properties to each functional group.