arylalkyl
|ar-yl-al-kyl|
/ˌærɪlˈælkɪl/
aromatic ring + alkyl chain
Etymology
'arylalkyl' is a compound word formed from 'aryl' + 'alkyl'. 'Aryl' comes from 'aromatic' combined with the chemical suffix '-yl' (used to denote radicals or substituents), and 'alkyl' comes from 'alcohol'/'alkane' with the same '-yl' suffix used in organic nomenclature.
'aryl' and 'alkyl' were coined in 19th-century organic chemistry to name radical fragments; combining them produced terms like 'arylalkyl' to describe substituents composed of both an aromatic portion and an alkyl portion, and this usage entered modern chemical nomenclature.
Initially the components referred specifically to radical fragments (pieces remaining after removal of a hydrogen), but over time they became standard names for substituents and groups; 'arylalkyl' now generically denotes an aryl-linked alkyl substituent.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substituent or radical consisting of an aryl group bonded to an alkyl group; an organic functional group in which an aromatic ring is attached to an alkyl chain (often used to describe fragments such as benzyl, phenethyl, etc.).
The compound contains an arylalkyl substituent that affects its reactivity.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/02 05:34