What functional groups are present in acetaminophen?
The functional groups in acetaminophen are hydroxyl, aromatic ring, and amide.
A functional group is a specific group of atoms within a molecule that gives rise to the characteristic chemical reactions of the molecule.
The structure of acetaminophen is
The group at the top of the molecule is a hydroxyl group. It is tempting to call it an alcohol group.
But an ##”–OH”## group attached to a benzene ring has special properties. It is more commonly called a phenol group or a phenolic ##”OH”##.
The six-membered ring is an aromatic ring.
The group at the bottom of the molecule is a monosubstituted or secondary amide.
The general formula for an amide is ##”RCONR”_2##. In this case, one of the ##”R”## groups on the ##”N”## atom is a hydrogen atom.
(from www.masterorganicchemistry.com)
