Some common functional groups are given in the table below.
Common Functional Groups
Functional Group Name Example
Alkane CH3CH2CH3 (propane)
Alkene CH3CH=CH2 (propene)
Alkyne CH3CCH (propyne)
F, Cl, Br, or I Alkyl halide CH3Br (methyl bromide)
Alcohol CH3CH2OH (ethanol)
Ether CH3OCH3 (dimethyl ether)
Amine CH3NH2 (methyl amine)
The C=O group plays a particularly important role in organic chemistry. This group is called a carbonyl and some of the functional groups based on a carbonyl are shown in the table below.
Functional Groups That Contain a Carbonyl
Functional Group Name Example
Aldehyde CH3CHO (acetaldehyde)
Ketone CH3COCH3 (acetone)
Acyl chloride CH3COCl (acetyl chloride)
Carboxylic acid CH3CO2H (acetic acid)
Ester CH3CO2CH3 (methyl acetate)
Amide CH3NH2 (acetamide