What is the Difference Between Phosphoryl Group and Phosphate Group

The key difference between phosphoryl group and phosphate group is that phosphoryl group contains one phosphorus atom bound to three oxygen atoms and -2 charge, whereas phosphate group contains one phosphorous atom bound to four oxygen atoms and -3 charge.

Phosphoryl group is a chemical ion having the chemical formula P⁺O₃^2- while phosphate group is an anion having the chemical formula PO₄^-3.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Phosphoryl Group  
3. What is Phosphate Group
4. Phosphoryl Group vs Phosphate Group in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Phosphoryl Group vs Phosphate Group 

What is Phosphoryl Group?

Phosphoryl group is a chemical ion having the chemical formula P⁺O₃^2-. Therefore, this ion contains phosphorous and oxygen atoms. It can exist in different protonation states. This term is used mainly for chemical compounds consisting of a phosphoryl group attached to another atom, such as phosphoryl chloride compound, which contains phosphoryl group attached to a chloride anion. This term is also useful in describing catalytic mechanisms such as phosphorylation.

When considering the biochemical processes, if a phosphate group is involved in a reaction, a phosphoryl group is usually transferred between the substrate compounds. These reactions are known as phosphoryl transfer reactions. However, a phosphoryl group is not a phosphate group.

What is Phosphate Group?

A phosphate group is an anion having the chemical formula PO₄^-3. This term can be used to name am anion, salt compounds containing phosphate group, a functional group and the esters containing the phosphate group. Most commonly, we call this anion an orthophosphate anion because it forms from orthophosphoric acid.

This anion forms from phosphoric acid through the removal of three protons. Removal of one proton forms dihydrogen phosphate anion, while removal of two protons forms hydrogen phosphate anion. These names can be used to refer to their corresponding salt compounds.

The molar mass of phosphate anion is 94.97 g/mol. There is a central phosphorous atom bonded to four oxygen atoms, and the anion has a tetrahedral geometry. Most of the phosphate-containing compounds are water-soluble substances at room temperature and pressure. Some phosphate compounds are also insoluble in water.

In biological systems, we can mainly find phosphate groups in inorganic phosphate form. We can find free phosphate anions in solutions in biological systems. If not, the phosphate anions occur bound to organic molecules in the form of organophosphates. Commonly, phosphates can be found as esters in nucleotides, in DNA and in RNA.

What is the Difference Between Phosphoryl Group and Phosphate Group?

The phosphoryl group is a chemical ion having the chemical formula P⁺O₃^2- while the phosphate group is an anion having the chemical formula PO₄^-3. The key difference between phosphoryl group and phosphate group is that the phosphoryl group contains one phosphorus atom bound to three oxygen atoms and -2 charge, whereas the phosphate group contains one phosphorous atom bound to four oxygen atoms and -3 charge.

The following figure presents the difference between phosphoryl group and phosphate group in tabular form.

Summary – Phosphoryl Group vs Phosphate Group

A phosphoryl group is a chemical ion having the chemical formula P⁺O₃^2-. Meanwhile, the phosphate group is an anion having the chemical formula PO₄^-3. The key difference between phosphoryl group and phosphate group is that the phosphoryl group contains one phosphorus atom bound to three oxygen atoms and -2 charge, whereas the phosphate group contains one phosphorous atom bound to four oxygen atoms and -3 charge.

Reference:

1. “Phosphate Group: Definition & Explanation.” Study.com. 

Image Courtesy:

1. “Phosphoryl-group-and-phosphate-group” By Strater – generated with Chemdraw (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Phosphat-Ion” By NEUROtiker ⇌ – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia