Acetyl

Acetyl group

Names
IUPAC name Acetyl (preferred to ethanoyl)
Systematic IUPAC name Methyloxidocarbon(•) (additive)
Identifiers
CAS Number	3170-69-2 N
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
Abbreviations	Ac
Beilstein Reference	1697938
ChEBI	CHEBI:46887 Y
ChemSpider	121499 Y
Gmelin Reference	786
PubChem	137849
InChI InChI=1S/C2H3O/c1-2-3/h1H3 Y Key: TUCNEACPLKLKNU-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
SMILES C[C]=O
Properties
Chemical formula	C2H3O
Molar mass	43.05 g·mol−1
Thermochemistry
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfHo298)	−15 to −9 kJ mol−1
Related compounds
Related compounds	Acetone Carbon monoxide
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N  (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Carbon monoxide

In organic chemistry, acetyl is a moiety, the acyl with chemical formula CH₃CO. It is sometimes represented by the symbol Ac (not to be confused with the element actinium). The acetyl group contains a methyl group single-bonded to a carbonyl. The carbonyl center of an acyl radical has one nonbonded electron with which it forms a chemical bond to the remainder R of the molecule. In IUPAC nomenclature, acetyl is called ethanoyl, although this term is rarely heard. The acetyl moiety is a component of many organic compounds, including acetic acid, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, acetyl-CoA, acetylcysteine, and the analgesics acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) and acetylsalicylic acid (better known as aspirin).

The introduction of an acetyl group into a molecule is called acetylation. In biological organisms, acetyl groups are commonly transferred from acetyl-CoA to coenzyme A (CoA). Acetyl-CoA is an intermediate both in the biological synthesis and in the breakdown of many organic molecules. Acetyl-CoA is also created during the second stage of cellular respiration, the Krebs Cycle, by the action of pyruvate dehydrogenase on pyruvic acid.