alkoxy group
{{Short description|Chemical group (R–O)}}
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File:Alkoxy group.svg File:Aryloxygruppe structural formulae v.1.png
In chemistry, the alkoxy group is an alkyl group which is singularly bonded to oxygen; thus {{chem2|R\sO}}. Denoted usually with apostrophe('). The range of alkoxy groups is vast, the simplest being methoxy ({{chem2|CH3O\s}}).{{Cite web |date=2022-03-24 |title=alkoxy group chemistry - trainingstrategies.co.uk |url=https://www.trainingstrategies.co.uk/xbiy/alkoxy-group-chemistry.html |access-date=2022-08-06 |website=trainingstrategies.co.uk}}{{deadlink|date=September 2023}} An ethoxy group ({{chem2|CH3CH2O\s}}) is found in the organic compound ethyl phenyl ether ({{chem2|C6H5OCH2CH3}}, also known as ethoxybenzene).
Related to alkoxy groups are aryloxy groups, which have an aryl group singularly bonded to oxygen such as the phenoxy group ({{chem2|C6H5O\s}}).
An alkoxy or aryloxy group bonded to an alkyl or aryl ({{chem2|R\sO\sR'}}) is an ether. If bonded to H it is an alcohol.
The term alkoxide refers to the anionic conjugate bases of alcohols ({{chem2|RO-}}) or to ionic compounds containing such an anion. Alkoxide compounds are derivatives of alcohols where the hydrogen of the –OH group is replaced by a metal;{{Cite web |last=Wade |first=Leroy G. |date=1998-07-20 |title=ether {{!}} chemical compound {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/ether-chemical-compound |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806164910/https://www.britannica.com/science/ether-chemical-compound |archive-date=2022-08-06 |access-date=2022-08-06 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}} for example, the sodium salt of ethanol ({{chem2|CH3CH2OH}}) is sodium ethoxide, containing ethoxide anions {{chem2|CH3CH2O-}} and sodium cations {{chem2|Na+}}.