Mercaptan

From Citizendium
Revision as of 00:20, 11 February 2008 by imported>Subpagination Bot (Add {{subpages}} and remove any categories (details))
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is a stub and thus not approved.
Main Article
Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.

Mercaptans (also known as alkane thiols) are the sulfur analogs of alcohols. Sulfur is in the same group as oxygen in the Periodic table and forms similar compounds, among which mercaptans RSH. The —SH group is called the mercapto-, thiol-, or sulfhydryl group. The boiling points are much lower than those of the corresponding alcohols, for example: CH3SH  6 0C. A distinguishing feature of volatile mercaptans is their disagreeable odor.