Congener Definition and Examples

What Is a Congener?

The noble metals may be considered congeners.
The noble metals may be considered congeners. Tomihahndorf, Creative Commons License
By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on January 11, 2020

In chemistry, the term "congener" can mean different things, depending on the context.

Congener Definition #1

A congener is a member of group of elements in the same periodic table group.
Example: Potassium and sodium are congeners of each other. Copper, gold, and silver are congeners.

Congener Definition #2

A congener can also refer to a class of compounds with similar structures and similar chemical properties.

Example: The class of chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have over 200 congeners.

Congener Definition #3

Congeners may refer to the oxidation states of a single element. For example, titanium dichloride (titanium 2+), titanium chloride (1+) and titanium tetrachloride (4+) are congeners.

Sources

  • Funari, Sérgio S.; Barceló, Francisca; Escribá, Pablo V. (2003). "Effects of oleic acid and its congeners, elaidic and stearic acids, on the structural properties of phosphatidylethanolamine membranes." Journal of Lipid Research. 44 (3): 567–575. doi:10.1194/jlr.m200356-jlr200
  • IUPAC (1997). Compendium of Chemical Terminology (2nd ed.) (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8. doi:10.1351/goldbook.
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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Congener Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo, Aug. 25, 2020, thoughtco.com/definition-of-congener-and-examples-604950. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 25). Congener Definition and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-congener-and-examples-604950 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Congener Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-congener-and-examples-604950 (accessed March 29, 2023).