Thiol

In <a href="/facts/Organic_chemistry/djxhxaNg">organic chemistry</a>, a thiol , or thiol derivative, is any <a href="/facts/Organosulfur_compound/sUxSSXwD">organosulfur compound</a> of the form R−SH, where R represents an <a href="/facts/Alkyl/vmEk8X4v">alkyl</a> or other organic <a href="/facts/Substituent/6y9IE6G0">substituent</a>. The −SH <a href="/facts/Functional_group/GXkSPsjM">functional group</a> itself is referred to as either a thiol group or a sulfhydryl group, or a sulfanyl group. Thiols are the sulfur analogue of <a href="/facts/Alcohol_(chemistry)/Y0SCTDkh">alcohols</a> (that is, sulfur takes the place of <a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">oxygen</a> in the <a href="/facts/Hydroxyl/1Hs2QAEv">hydroxyl</a> (−OH) group of an alcohol), and the word is a blend of "thio-" with "alcohol".
Many thiols have strong odors resembling that of <a href="/facts/Garlic/NschLR1S">garlic</a>, <a href="/facts/Cabbage/WeEDQzxK">cabbage</a> or rotten eggs. Thiols are used as <a href="/facts/Odorants/h3MF95yb">odorants</a> to assist in the detection of <a href="/facts/Natural_gas/9MYQ7NAP">natural gas</a> (which in pure form is odorless), and the smell of natural gas is due to the smell of the thiol used as the odorant.

Thiol open-in-new

Thiol