Tertiary_(chemistry)
Tertiary (chemistry)
Term in organic chemistry used to describe degree of substitution of an atom in a molecule
Tertiary is a term used in organic chemistry to classify various types of compounds (e. g. alcohols, alkyl halides, amines) or reactive intermediates (e. g. alkyl radicals, carbocations).
| Red highlighted central atoms in various groups of chemical compounds. Tertiary central atoms compared with primary, secondary and quaternary central atoms. | ||||
| primary | secondary | tertiary | quaternary | |
| Carbon atom in an alkane |  |
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| Alcohol |  |
 |
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does not exist |
| Amine |  |
 |
 |
 |
| Amide |  |
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does not exist |
| Phosphine |  |
 |
 |
 |