Carbonyl Compounds
A carbonyl group characterizes the following types of compounds:
| Compound | Aldehyde | Ketone | Carboxylic acid | Ester | Amide |
| Structure | |||||
| General formula | RCHO | RCOR' | RCOOH | RCOOR' | RCONR'R'' |
| Compound | Enone | Acyl halide | Acid anhydride | Imide |
| Structure | ||||
| General formula | RC(O)C(R')CR''R''' | RCOX | (RCO)2O | RC(O)N(R')C(O)R''' |
Note that the most specific labels are usually employed. For example, R(CO)O(CO)R' structures are known as acid anhydride rather than the more generic ester, even though the ester motif is present.
Other organic carbonyls are urea and the carbamates, the derivatives of acyl chlorides chloroformates and phosgene, carbonate esters, thioesters, lactones, lactams, hydroxamates, and isocyanates. Examples of inorganic carbonyl compounds are carbon dioxide and carbonyl sulfide.
A special group of carbonyl compounds are 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds that have acidic protons in the central methylene unit. Examples are Meldrum's acid, diethyl malonate and acetylacetone.
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