Mercaptan Definition

This is the chemical structure of cysteine.
This is the chemical structure of the mercaptan compound cysteine. Todd Helmenstine
by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
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.
Updated March 08, 2017

Definition: Mercaptan is an organic sulfur compound composed of an alkyl or aryl group and a thiol group.

General formula: R-SH where R is an alkyl or aryl group.

Also Known As: thiol

Examples: The amino acid cysteine is a mercaptan.