
An azole is a type of organic compound. Azoles have a pentagon-shaped ring of five atoms. Azoles have two double bonds, like cyclopentadiene, and have at least one nitrogen atom.
Azole is the systematic name of pyrrole, the simplest azole. Its analogs are called pyrroles. Other azoles can have a second heteroatom, which can be chalcogen (oxygen, sulfur, selenium, or tellurium) or more nitrogen.
Azoles are grouped by the type of heteroatom in the ring.
| Type | Second heteroatom | Example | Example structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyrroles | None | Pyrrole | |
| Oxazoles | Oxygen | Oxazole | |
| Isoxazole | |||
| Thiazoles | Sulfur | Thiazole | |
| Isothiazole | |||
| Imidazoles | Nitrogen | Imidazole | |
| Pyrazole |
There are also selenazoles and tellurazoles, containing selenium and tellurium. These molecules are much less common and do not have notable applications.