What is "acyl group"

n. any group or radical of the form RCO- where R is an organic group; "an example of the acyl group is the acetyl group" [syn: acyl]

An acyl group ( or ) is a functional group derived by the removal of one or more hydroxyl groups from an oxoacid, including inorganic acids. It contains a double bonded oxygen atom and an alkyl group.

In organic chemistry, the acyl group ( IUPAC name: alkanoyl) is usually derived from a carboxylic acid. Therefore, it has the formula R C O–, where R represents an alkyl group that is linked to the carbon atom of the group by a single bond. Although the term is almost always applied to organic compounds, acyl groups can in principle be derived from other types of acids such as sulfonic acids, phosphonic acids. In the most common arrangement, acyl groups are attached to a larger molecular fragment, in which case the carbon and oxygen atoms are linked by a double bond.