Vinyl group

The vinyl group, also called the ethenyl group, is a functional group in organic chemistry. It is a molecule of ethylene where one hydrogen atom has been connected to a larger molecule, and has the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkenyl group, or group with a double bond between carbon atoms.

 Naming vinyl compounds 
The vinyl group is not normally found in systematic names, but is used in the common names of many simple vinyl compounds. This is especially common with monomers used to make vinyl polymers, such as vinyl chloride (systematic name chloroethene).

Some compounds that include vinyl in their systematic name are vinyl esters (such as vinyl acetate) and cyclic compounds with vinyl substituents (such as styrene, systematically vinylbenzene). IUPAC prefers the use of "ethenyl" over "vinyl".

 Reactions 
Vinyl groups have the usual chemistry of terminal alkenes. The most important reaction of vinyl compounds is polymerisation to make vinyl polymers.

 Sources 

Category:Functional groups
Category:Alkenes