In chemistry, the term "congener" can mean different things, depending on the context.
Congener Definition #1
A congener is a member of group of elements in the same periodic table group.
Example: Potassium and sodium are congeners of each other. Copper, gold, and silver are congeners.
Congener Definition #2
A congener can also refer to a class of compounds with similar structures and similar chemical properties.
Example: The class of chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have over 200 congeners.
Congener Definition #3
Congeners may refer to the oxidation states of a single element. For example, titanium dichloride (titanium 2+), titanium chloride (1+) and titanium tetrachloride (4+) are congeners.
Sources
- Funari, Sérgio S.; Barceló, Francisca; Escribá, Pablo V. (2003). "Effects of oleic acid and its congeners, elaidic and stearic acids, on the structural properties of phosphatidylethanolamine membranes." Journal of Lipid Research. 44 (3): 567–575. doi:10.1194/jlr.m200356-jlr200
- IUPAC (1997). Compendium of Chemical Terminology (2nd ed.) (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8. doi:10.1351/goldbook.