The chemical functions They are a series of characteristics that allow a group of compounds to be categorized or grouped, either by their reactivity, structure, solubility, etc. Having inorganic and organic compounds, it is to be expected that their compartments are different and, in the same way, the chemical functions by which they are classified.
It can be said that chemical functions would become huge families of compounds, within which there are increasingly specific subdivisions. For example, salts represent an inorganic chemical function; but we have hundreds of them, classified as binary, ternary or oxysal and mixed.
The salts are scattered throughout the hydrosphere and lithosphere, the latter literally harboring mountains of mineral oxides. Therefore, due to their great abundance, oxides correspond to another important inorganic chemical function, also with their internal divisions (basic, acidic and mixed).
On the organic compound side, functions are better defined as functional groups, since they are responsible for their chemical properties. Among the most relevant in nature we have the odorous esters, as well as carboxylic acids and phenols.
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Although many sources speak of four inorganic chemical functions: oxides, acids, bases and salts, in reality there are many more; but these are generally the most important. Not only oxides define a chemical function, but also sulphides and hydrides, as well as phosphides, nitrides, carbides, silicides, etc..
However, such compounds can be classified as ionic, falling within the function corresponding to salts. Likewise, a select group of compounds with advanced properties are less abundant and considered more than families. Therefore, only the four functions mentioned above will be addressed..
By chemical function, oxides are understood to be all those inorganic compounds that contain oxygen. There being metals and non-metals, separately they will form different oxides, which in turn will give rise to other compounds. This function also includes peroxides (Otwotwo-) and superoxides (Otwo-), although they will not be discussed.
When metals react with oxygen, oxides are formed whose general formula is MtwoORn, being n the oxidation number of the metal. We therefore have metal oxides, which are basic because when they react with water, they release OH ions.-, from the hydroxides generated, M (OH)n.
For example, magnesium oxide is MgtwoORtwo, but the subscripts can be simplified to make the formula MgO. As MgO dissolves in water, it produces magnesium hydroxide, Mg (OH)two, which in turn releases OH ions- according to its solubility.
When a non-metallic element (C, N, S, P, etc.) reacts with oxygen, an acid oxide is formed, since when dissolved in water it releases H ions3OR+ from the oxacids produced. Acidic oxides come to be the "dry version" of oxacids, which is why they are also called anhydrides:
No metal + Otwo => Acid oxide or anhydride + HtwoO => Oxacid
For example, carbon reacts completely with oxygen to generate carbon dioxide, COtwo. When this gas dissolves in water at high pressure, it reacts to become carbonic acid, HtwoCO3.
Neutral oxides do not dissolve in water, so they do not generate OH ions- nor H3OR+. Examples of these oxides we have: CO, MnOtwo, NERDtwo and ClOtwo.
Mixed oxides are those formed by more than one metal, or the same metal with more than one oxidation number. For example, magnetite, Fe3OR4, it really is a FeO Fe mixturetwoOR3.
Salts are ionic compounds, so they contain ions. If the ions come from two different elements, we will have binary salts (NaCl, FeCl3, LiI, ZnFtwo, etc.). Meanwhile, if they contain two elements in addition to oxygen, they will be ternary or oxysal salts (NaNO3, MnSO3, COURSE4, CaCrO4, etc.).
Mention was made of oxacids, whose general formula is HtoANDbORc. For the case of carbonic acid, HtwoCO3, a = 2, b = 1, and c = 3. Another important group of inorganic acids are the hydracids, which are binary and do not have oxygen. For example: HtwoS, hydrogen sulfide, since dissolved in water produces H ions3OR+.
The bases come to be those compounds that release OH ions-, or at least as regards the inorganic.
Organic chemical functions are more appropriately named functional groups. It is no longer a matter of having ions or a specific atom, but rather a set of atoms that provide the molecule with some qualities regarding its reactivity. Each functional group can accommodate hundreds of thousands of organic compounds.
Of course, more than one functional group can be present in a molecule, but the most reactive group predominates in its classification; which is usually the most rusty. Thus, some of these groups or functions are listed:
-Alcohols, -OH
-Carboxylic acids, -COOH
-Amines, -NHtwo
-Aldehydes, -COH or -CHO
-Amides, -COONHtwo
-Thiols, -SH
-Esters, -COO-
-Ethers, -O-
In the previous sections, several examples of compounds belonging to a specific chemical function have been cited. Here others will be mentioned followed by their chemical function, be it inorganic or organic:
-FetiO3, mixed oxide
-Pb3OR4, mixed oxide
-HNO3, oxacid
-Spout3)two, oxisal
-BaO, basic oxide
-NaOH, base
-NH3, base, since it releases OH ions- when dissolved in water
-CH3OH, alcohol
-CH3OCH3, ether
-HF, acidic acid
-HI, acidic acid
-CH3CHtwoNHtwo, amine
-CH3COOH, carboxylic acid
-NaBr, binary salt
-AgCl, binary salt
-KOH, base
-MgCrO4, ternary salt, although the central element is a metal, chromium, derived from chromic acid, HtwoCrO4
-NH4Cl, binary salt,
-CH3CHtwoCHtwoCOOCH3, ester
-SrO, basic oxide
-SW3, acid oxide or anhydride
-SWtwo, acid oxide or anhydride
-NH4Cl, binary salt, because the NH cation4+ counts as a single ion even though it is polyatomic
-CH3SH, thiol
-AC3(PO4)two, ternary salt
-NaClO3, ternary salt
-HtwoSe, acidic acid
-HtwoTe, acidic acid
-Ca (CN)two, binary salt, since the anion CN- is again considered as a single ion
-KCaPO4, mixed salt
-Ag3SW4NOT3, mixed salt
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