What is "vinyl group"

n. a univalent chemical radical derived from ethylene [syn: vinyl, vinyl radical]

In chemistry, vinyl or ethenyl

IUPAC Provisional Recommendations 2004 Chapter 5

is the functional group − C H=CH, namely the ethylene molecule (HC=CH) minus one hydrogen atom. The name is also used for any compound containing that group, namely R−CH=CH where R is any other group of atoms.

An industrially important example is vinyl chloride, precursor to PVC, a plastic commonly known as vinyl.

Vinyl is one of the alkenyl functional groups. On a carbon skeleton, sp-hybridized carbons or positions are often called vinylic. Allyls, acrylates and styrenics contain vinyl groups. (A styrenic crosslinker with two vinyl groups is called divinyl benzene.)