What is Aliphatic? Definition, Examples, and Properties

Aliphatic refers to a type of compound that contains carbon atoms but does not contain any aromatic rings. Aliphatic compounds are typically straight-chain hydrocarbons, meaning they have a linear structure with no ring structures. They can be saturated or unsaturated, and may contain various functional groups such as alcohols, carboxylic acids, or amines.

The term "aliphatic" is derived from the word "aliphatics," which was coined by the German chemist Hermann Kolbe in the late 19th century to describe a class of compounds that were not aromatic, meaning they did not have the characteristic ring structure of aromatic compounds like benzene. The term has since been widely adopted in organic chemistry to refer to any compound that lacks an aromatic ring structure.