A primary carbon is a
carbon atom which is
bound
Bound or bounds may refer to:
Mathematics
* Bound variable
* Upper and lower bounds, observed limits of mathematical functions
Physics
* Bound state, a particle that has a tendency to remain localized in one or more regions of space
Geography
*B ...
to only one other carbon atom. It is thus at the end of a
carbon chain
In chemistry, catenation is the bonding of atoms of the same element into a series, called a ''chain''. A chain or a ring shape may be ''open'' if its ends are not bonded to each other (an open-chain compound), or ''closed'' if they are bonde ...
. In case of an
alkane, three
hydrogen atoms
A hydrogen atom is an atom of the chemical element hydrogen. The electrically neutral atom contains a single positively charged proton and a single negatively charged electron bound to the nucleus by the Coulomb force. Atomic hydrogen constit ...
are bound to a primary carbon (see propane in the figure on the right). A hydrogen atom could also be replaced by a hydroxy group, which would make the molecule a
primary alcohol
A primary alcohol is an alcohol in which the hydroxy group is bonded to a primary carbon atom. It can also be defined as a molecule containing a “–CH2OH” group.
In contrast, a secondary alcohol has a formula “–CHROH” and a tertiary a ...
.
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''secondary'' carbon
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''tertiary'' carbon
, style="background-color:#7A91FF" ,
''quaternary'' carbon
, -
, align="center" style="background-color:#CAE1FF; height:80px; width:20%" , General structure
(R =
Organyl group
In organic and organometallic chemistry, an organyl group is an organic substituent with one (sometimes more) free valence(-s) at a carbon atom.. The term is often used in chemical patent literature to protect claims over a broad scope.
Exam ...
)
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, -
, align="center" style="background-color:#CAE1FF; height:80px; width:20%" , Partial
Structural formula
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References
Chemical nomenclature
Organic chemistry