A chemical group or ion containing chlorine bonded to oxygen, used in various chemical compounds and reactions.
From chlor- (chlorine) + -yl (chemical suffix denoting a group or radical), derived from chlorine chemistry nomenclature established in the 19th century.
The chloryl radical (ClO•) is so reactive and unstable that it only lasts fractions of a second in air, yet scientists discovered it by analyzing the chemistry of bleach—sometimes the most important discoveries come from studying everyday household items!
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