Thiol

In organic chemistry, a thiol is an organosulfur compound that contains a carbon-bonded sulfhydryl (–C–SH or R–SH) group (where R represents an alkane, alkene, or other carbon-containing group of atoms). Thiols are the sulfur analogue of alcohols (that is, sulfur takes the place of oxygen in the hydroxyl group of an alcohol), and the word is a portmanteau of "thion" + "alcohol," with the first word deriving from Greek θεῖον ("thion") = "sulfur." The –SH functional group itself is referred to as either a thiol group or a sulfhydryl group. Quotes The most striking characteristic of thiols is their appalling odor. Skunk scent, for instance, is caused primarily by the simple thiols 3-methyl-1-butanethiol and 2-butene-1-thiol. Volatile thiols such as ethanethiol are also added to natural gas and liquefied propane to serve as an easily detectable warning in case of leaks. John McMurry, Organic Chemistry 8th ed. (2012), Ch. 18. Ethers and Epoxides; Thiols and Sulfides Thiols can be oxidized by Br2 or I2 to yield disulfides (RSSR′). The reaction is easily reversed, and a disulfide can be reduced back to a thiol by treatment with zinc and acid. John McMurry, Organic Chemistry 8th ed. (2012), Ch. 18. Ethers and Epoxides; Thiols and Sulfides External links Category:Functional groups