7

MORE ON NOMENCLATURE.
COMPOUNDS OTHER
THAN HYDROCARBONS%

T he IUPAC system for naming- hydrocarbons

. and their substitution products
with nonfunctional groups was discussed in Chapter 3. Now, as we begin our
study of compounds with functional groups of the types encountered in
Chapter 2 (see Table 2-2), it is desirable to extend your capability to name
compounds other than hydrocarbons. In this brief chapter, we consider the
nomenclature of organic compounds of oxygen, nitrogen, and halogens, and
you will find that many of the principles you have learned in connection with
naming hydrocarbons will have direct application. You need not assimilate
all of the material that follows at once. However, you should study carefully
the general approach to naming organic compounds in the next section. Then
it would be well to apply the principles by working Exercises 7-1 through 7-3.
As you need to, you can return later to the subsequent sections that pertain
to specific kinds of compounds.
As in Chapter 3, we will use systematic nomenclature to obtain first-
choice names, but we also will indicate common usage, at least parenthetically.

7-1 GENERAL APPROACHES TO NAMING

ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

There are two aspects to consider: how to derive the name from the structure,
and how to derive the structure from the name. We will discuss each by
example.
 7 More on Nomenclature. Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

7-1A Naming a Compound of Known Structure

You first should decide what type of compound it is. The decision usually is
straightforward for hydrocarbons, which will fall in one or the other of the
categories alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, arenes, cycloalkanes, and so on. But
when the compound has more than one functional group it is not always ob-
vious which is the parent function. For example, Compound 1 could be named
as an alkene (because of the double-bond function) or as an alcohol (because
of the O H function):

CH.3
\
C=CH-CH,-CH-CH, 1
/ I
CH, OH

There are no simple rules to follow that dictate which is the parent
function, and we suggest that the order of precedence of functional groups
set by Chemical Abstracts be used whenever possible (see Table 7-1). By this
system, the OH group takes precedence over hydrocarbons, and Compound 1
therefore is named as an alcohol, not as an alkene.
Having decided on the main classification, our next step is to identify
the longest carbon chain that includes the main f~rnctionalgroup. Then this
chain is numbered, starting at the end that gives the main$~nction the lowest
possible number. The remaining groups, functional or nonfunctional, are taken
as substituents and are assigned numbers according to their position along the
chain. Thus for Compound 1:
1. The longest continuous carbon chain carrying the OH group is a
six-carbon unit. The prefix for a six-carbon hydrocarbon is hex-.
2. The chain is numbered so the OH group is at C2, the lowest possible
number. Therefore the IUPAC suffix is -2-01, in which ol signifies alcohol
(see Section 7-2).

3. The remaining functions are methyl (at C5) and -en(e) (at C4). The
complete name is

(Notice that the final e is dropped from the suffix -ene when followed by an-
other suffix beginning with a vowel.)
7-1 8 Translating a Name into its Chemical Structure 187

One further point of possible confusion is where to locate the numerical

symbol for the main functional group in the name. For instance, if the double
bond in 1 were absent, we could name the compound either 5-methylhexan-
2-01 or 5-methyl-2-hexanol. The rule is to not divide the name unnecessarily.
Thus 5-methyl-2-hexanol would be correct and 5-methylhexan-2-01 would be
incorrect:

7-1 B Translating a Name into its Chemical Structure

1. The first step is to identify the parent function, which usually is de-
termined from the suffix or word at the end of the name. Suppose, for example,
that a structure is to be written for a compound having the name 3-methoxy-
butanal. The suffix -a1 is the IUPAC suffix for aldehyde; therefore the com-
pound is an aldehyde and the function is -CHO.
2. The next step is to set up the carbon chain that includes the aldehyde
carbon. The prefix butan- denotes a saturated four-carbon chain, and a partial
structure with numbering may be written to place the aldehyde function at C 1:

3. The rest of the name, which generally precedes the parent name, de-
scribes the substituent and its position on the parent chain. In our example,
3-methoxy means a CH,O- group at C3. Thus the complete structure of
3-methoxybutanal is

CH3CHCH2C
n"
I \
OCH, H

The foregoing examples illustrate that naming compounds from struc-

tures or deducing structures from names requires knowledge of both the parent
names and the substituent names of the important types of functional and non-
functional groups. This information is summarized in the following sections
and Table 7- 1.
188 7 More on Nomenclature Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

Table 7-1
Classification of Compounds in Order of Decreasing Priority for Citation
as Principal Function

Principal name Substituent name

Class Formula (suffix)" (preflx)

onium -onium
R,N@ -ammonium
R,P@ -phosphonium
R,O@ -oxonium
R,S@ -sulfonium
R,X@ -halonium

carboxy

-oic anhydride
-carboxylic anhydride

carboxyllc esters

acyl halides -oyl halide halomethanoyl,

-carbony1 halide halocarbonyl
(haloforrnyl)

amides amido
carbamoyl

nitriles cyano

aldehydes methanoyl
(formyl)
0x0 (either aldehyde
or ketone)
7-1 6 Translating a Name into its Chemical Structure

Table 7-1 (continued)

Classlflcat~onof Compounds In Order of Decreas~ngPr~or~ty
for Cltai~on
as Pr~ncipalFunct~on

Principal name Substituent name

Class Formula (suffix)" (prefix)

ketones -C- -one OX0

hydroxy

hydroxy

thiols -SH -thiol mercapto, sulfhydryl

ammo

imino

hydrocarbons

F, CI, Br, I halo

nitro

nitroso

azido

diazo

"The reason for giving multiple suffixes for some groups will become clearer later. The basic
idea is that we use pentanoic acid for CH,CH,CH,CH2C02H but cyclobutanecarboxylic acid for
()-CO,H. In the first case, the -CO,H carbon is part of the chain, but it is not in the second.
bAlcohols and phenols differ In the nature of the hydrocarbon group, for alcohols, ROH, R is alkyl
or cycloalkyl, for phenols, ArOH, Ar is an aryl group.
"These groups should be clted only as prefixes; they are regarded as substituents on the hydro-
carbon chains.
190 7 More on Nomenclature. Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

Exercise 7-1 Use Table 7-1 to classlfy each of the following compounds accord~ng
to ~ t sprlnclpal funct~onalgroup

Exercise 7-2 Translate each of the following structures into the proper IUPAC name.
Take cognizance of the order of precedence in Table 7-1 and use alphabetical order
in citing substituent groups.

Exercise 7-3 Translate each of the following names into the appropriate structural
formulas Show the stereochem~strywhen that is ind~cated
a, cyclopropanol e. tetramethoxymethane
b. 2,2-dimethyl-1-pentanol f. CIS-3-methyl-2-pentenal
c. d~cyclohexylmethanol g. trans-2-methylcyclohexanol
d, CIS-2-buten-1 -01 h. meso-2,3-butanediol
7-2 Alcohols and Phenols: ROH, ArOH

7-2 ALCOHOLS AND PHENOLS: ROH, ArOH

1. By the IUPAC system, the suffix -01 for OH is added to the name of
the parent hydrocarbon. Notice that alkane- t -01 becomes alkanol, with the e
omitted:

I
OH
phenylmethanol 1,4-cyclohexanediol
(benzyl alcohol)

2. The substituent name for the O H group is hydvoxy and should be

used whenever the O H group is not the parent function (see Table 7- 1). Notice
how the precedence rules apply - hydroxy below carboxylic acid and hydroxy
below ketone:

hydroxyethanoic acid hydroxy-2-propanone

(hydroxyacetic acid) (hydroxyacetone)

3. Many trivial names persist, particularly for aromatic, or arene al-

cohols (phenols):

OH
benzenol 3-methylbenzenol 1,4-benzenediol
(phenol) (meta-cresol) (hydroquinone)

Exercise 7-4 Write systematic names for each of t h e following compounds:

192 7 More on Nomenclature. Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

7-3 ETHERS, ROR'

1. The substituent name for the RO- function is alkoxy, and it is cor-
rect to name R-0-R' compounds as alkoxy derivatives of hydrocarbons:

CH,-0-CH,CH,CH,
1-methoxypropane

CH,CH,O-CH=CH,
ethoxyethene
""v OCH3
OCH,

1,3.5-tr~methoxybenzene

2. In the common nomenclature for ethers, each of the R groups in

R-0-R' is named as a separate word, except when the groups are identical,
in which case the prefix di or bis may be used (di is used for simple groups,
bis for substituted groups):

CH,CH,OCH, CICH,OCH,Cl

ethyl methyl ether d~phenylether b~s(chloromethyl)ether

Exercise 7-5 Write structures correspond~ngto the follow~ngnames

a. methyl phenyl ether d. bis(2,2-difluoropropyl) ether
b. 2-methoxyethanol e. 1,4-dl-tert-butoxybenzene
c. 2-chloromethoxyethanol f. CIS-I-propenyloxybenzene

7-4 ALDEHYDES, RCHO

1. The suffix -a1 is zppended to the name of the hydrocarbon cor-

responding to the longest carbon chain that includes the aldehyde carbon.
+
Remember that alkane- -a1 becomes alkanal with the e omitted, and because
the a1 function is necessarily at C1, the -1- is redundant and is omitted:

I
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH0 HC=CCH2CHzCHCH2CHO
hexanal 3-methyl-6-heptynal

Dialdehydes are named as -dials. Thus OHCCH,CH,CH,CH,CHO is

hexanedial.
7-4 Aldehydes, RCHO 193

2. The simplest aldehyde is methanal, HCHO, which is familiarly

known as formaldehyde. However, when aldehydes are named as derivatives
of methanal, they usually are called carbaldehydes, and the suffix "carbalde-
hyde" refers to the -CHO group. This system is used where the hydrocarbon
group is not a chain, but a ring, and the CHO group can be thought of as a
one-carbon chain:

CHO
I YHO

CHO
cyclohexanecarbaldehyde 1,4-benzened~carbaldehyde

3. When the -CHO group is a substituent on the parent chain or ring

and it ranks below another functional group, it properly is designated by the
prefix methnnoyl. However, the prefix fovmyl also is used:

CH,CH,CHCH,CO,H 3-methanoylpentanoic a c ~ d
1 (3-formylpentano~cacld)
CHO

(The naming of acids will be discussed in more detail in Section 7-6.)

4. Trivial names are used for many simple aldehydes, some of which
are shown below in parentheses:

CHO CHO

OHC-CHO

OCH,
ethanal benzenecarbaldehyde 4-methoxy- ethanedial
(acetaldehyde) (benzaldehyde) benzenecarbaldehyde (glyoxal)
(an~saldehyde)

Exercise 7-6 Write appropriate names for each of the following structures, Indicate
the stereochemistry where this is specified.
194 7 More on Nomenclature Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

7-5 KETONES, RCOR'

1. The IUPAC system employs the suflix -one added to the prefix
identifying the longest carbon chain of RCOR' that includes the carbonyl
group. The chain is numbered to give the carbonyl group the lowest possible
number. In the examples given, the names in parentheses correspond to a less
systematic nomenclature of ketones by which the R groups each are named
separately:

2-butanone 1-cyclohexyl-1-propanone 2,4-pentanedlone

(methyl ethyl ketone) (cyclohexyl ethyl ketone)

2. When the doubly bonded oxygen is regarded as a substituent along

the parent chain or ring, it is called an 0x0 group, = 0 ,

4-oxopentanal
(Notlce In Table 7-1 that 0
-a/ 1s ahead of -one ) 4-oxocyclohexanecarboxyl~cacld

Exercise 7-7 Write appropr~atestructures correspond~ngto the following names.

Show stereochemistry where specified.
a. 3-methyl-2-butanone d. ethenol (vinyl alcohol)
b. 1-cyclopropyl-2-propen-1 -one e. D -2-hydroxy-3-pentanone
c. 2-oxopropanal f. cis-2,4-dimethylcyclobutanone
7-6 Carboxylic Acids, RC0,H

7-6 CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, RCOPH

1 . By the IUPAC system, the suffix -oic is added to the prefix identify-
ing the hydrocarbon chain that includes the carboxyl carbon:

I 1 %
CH3CH,C0,H CH3CH=CHCHC02H H02CCH2CHC02H
propanolc acid 2-methyl-3-pentenoic acid 2-nitrobutanediolc acld

Notice that the chain is numbered such that the carboxyl carbon is always C 1.
2. Situations arise when it is necessary to consider the parent as a one-
carbon chain. In such circumstances, RC02H becomes a substituted cavbox-
ylic acid. This variation is met most frequently when R is a cycloalkyl or aryl
group:

cyclopropane- 4-cyclohexene-l,2-dicarboxylic
acid benzenecarboxylic acid
carboxyiic acid (Notice numbering to give the (benzoic acid)
carboxyiic groups the lowest numbers.)

3. The substituent name for --C0,H is cauhoxy:

C0,H
I
HO,CCH,CHCH,CO,H 3-carboxypentaned~o~c
acid

4. For salts of carboxylic acids, the -oic suffix of the acid becomes
-oate with the counter ion named as a separate word:

II I1
CH3C-O@NH? CH,CHC-OcNa@
I
NH2
ammonlum ethanoate sodium 2-am~nopropanoate
(ammonlum acetate)

8*=F*wa*'s>.% =-%-"A wa-"%,*m*,-a*&*\ ,v **m-S%*-*xa-. e , ~ ~ ~ ~ L % ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ "~ ~~ ~~ ~l ,~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - * ~, ~T us '~ ~ ~ ~ ~ , ~

Exercise 7-8 Write systematic names for each of the following structures:
 7 More on Nomenclature. Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

e. (CH,=CH-CO,),Ca

0
II
7-7 ACYL GROUPS, R-C-

0
II
1. The function R-C- is called an acyl group and in specific cases is
named by adding the suffix -oyl to the appropriate hydrocarbon prefix. That is,
+
alkane- -oyl becomes alkanoyl:

0 0 0 0
II II II II
H-C- CH3-C- CH3CCH2C-
metdanoyl ethanoyl 3-0x0 butanoy l
(formyl) (acetyl)

Acyl groups also may be called alkanecarbonyl or cycloalkanecarbonyl groups:

cyclohexanecarbonyl benzenecarbony l
(benzoyl)

2. When an acyl group replaces the hydrogen of alcohols, carboxylic

acids, hydrogen halides, ammonia or amines, we have the acyl compounds
known as esters, anhydrides, halides, and amides, respectively.

O 0
II II
R'O-H RC- t RC-OR' esters
7-7A Carboxylic Esters, RCOOR'

0
II
H A RC anhydrides

-
I1
H-PUIH~A R-C amtdes

Each of these types of compounds are named as follows.

7-7A Carboxyl ic Esters, R-c

B
'0,.

1. The name of the parent carboxylic acid (alkanoic) is changed to

alkanoate and is preceded, as in a separate word, by the name of the ester
alkyl group R':

CH3CH,CH2CH2C-0 cyclohexyl pentanoate

2. When appropriate, esters also are named as carboxylates:

0
C-OC2H5 ethyl cyclopropanecarboxylate

3. When it is necessary to name the -CO,R1 function as a substituent,

0
II
it becomes alkoxycarbonyl, R'O-C-. (Notice that this is structurally differ-
0
II
ent from R'C-0-.)

3-(3-methoxycarbonylcyclohexyl)propano~cacid

COZCH,
 7 More on Nomenclature. Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

Notice the use of parentheses to separate the numbering of C3 of the cyclo-

hexane ring from the numbering of the chain.
0
II
4. It also may be necessary at times to name the R'CO- group as a
substituent, in which case it becomes acyloxy- or Rf--carbonyloxy-. For
example,

ethanoyloxy- benzenecarbonyloxy- cyclohexanecarbonyloxy

(acetoxy) (benzoyloxy)

0 0
II II
7-7B Carboxylic Anhydrides, RCOCR'
Symmetrical anhydrides (R=R1) are named after the parent acid; unsym-
metrical o r "mixed" anhydrides (R+R1) cite each of the parent acids:

ethanoic anhydride cyclohexanecarboxylic

(acet~canhydride) propanoic anhydride

0
II
7-7C Acyl Halides, RCX

II
The acyl group, R-C-, and the halogen (as halide) are cited separately:

ethanoyl c h l o r ~ d e benrenecarbonyl cyclohexanecarbonyl chlor~de

(acetyl chlor~de) bromide
(benzoyl bromide)
7-70 Amides, RCONH,

II
7-7D Amides, RCNH,
1. The suffix amide is appended to the name of the hydrocarbon cor-
responding to the carbon chain that includes the carbonyl group. That is,
+
alkan(e) amide = alkanamide. A one-carbon chain is a carboxamide:

ethanamide 3-butenamide cyclohexanecarboxam~de

(acetam~de)

2. When the amide nitrogen is substituted with lower-ranking groups

than the acyl group, the substituents are designated as prefixes. The letter N
is used to show that the substitution is on nitrogen:

7 C-N, 7".

3. Names for amides as substituents include the following:

0 0
11 11 H
RC -NH - = alkanamido CH,C-N --0--CO,H
3-ethanamidocyclobutane-
carboxylic acid

0 0
-CNH-
II
= carbamoyl CH,-N-C 'I ()t
I
CH2CH.C0.CzHr

ethyl 3-(4-N-methylcarbamoylcyclohexyl)propanoate

Exercise 7-9 G i v e the systematic names for each of the following compounds:
200 7 More on Nomenclature. Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

0
i. H-C-NH

Exercise 7-10 Wrlte appropriate structures for each of the following compounds
Show stereochemlstry where specified
a. N-methylmethanam~de d. methyl 2-methanoylpropanoate
b. propanoic anhydr~de e. 3-ethanam~dobenzenecarboxyl~c acld
c. D -2-methyl butyl ethanoate f. D -1 -methylpropyl L-2-hydroxypropanoate

7-8 AMINES: RNH,, R2NH, R3N

1. T h e word "amine" is derived from ammonia, and the class of com-

pounds known as amines therefore are commonly named as substituted am-
m o n i a ~ . In this system, primary amines, having only one substituent on
nitrogen, are named with the substituent as a prefix. More systematic nomen-
clature appends -amine to the longest chain, as for alcohols:

CH,CH,CH,CHNH,
I HZN(CH2)6NH2
CH,NHz CH3
methanamlne benzenamine 1-methyibutanarnine
(methylamine) (phenylam~ne,aniline) (I-methylbutylam~ne) 1,6-hexanediamlne
7-8 Amlnes RNH,, R,NH, R,N 201

2. Secondary and tertiary amines, which have two and three substitu-
ents on nitrogen, commonly are named as N-substituted amines. As for sub-
stituted amides, N is included to indicate that the substituent is on the nitrogen
atom unless there is no ambiguity as to where the substituent is located. Sys-
tematic nomenclature of secondary and tertiary amines is related to the
systematic ether nomenclature discussed in Section 7-3:

NHCH,
(CH312NH (CICH2CH2),NH
N-rnethylmethanarnlne N-rnethylcyclohexanam~ne 2-chloro-N-(2-chloro-
(drrnethylam~ne) (N-methylcyclohexylarn~ne) ethyl)ethanamlnei
[brs(2-chloroethyl)amrne]

N(CH,),

N,N-dimethylcyclohexanamine N-ethyl-N-methyl benzenarnine

(N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine) (N-ethyl-N-methylaniline)

3. As a substituent, the -NH2 group is called amino. N-Substituted

amino groups are named accordingly:

LI- i
irC( - iu-r*KTi-r i b 3 4 ' k i A%=- -
i ?.a" nka- n m *iaua';l

Exercise 7-11 Determ~nethe systernat~cnames for the following compounds

IAlphabetical order puts chloro- ahead of chloroethyl-.

202 7 More on Nomenclature Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

7-9 NITRILES, RCN

1. Compounds with the =N function are named by adding the suffix

nitvile to the main-chain hydrocarbon that includes the carbon linked to the
nitrile (=N) function. The chain is numbered so the CN carbon is C1:

CH3
I
CH3CN CH,CH=CH-CH-CH=CHC=N NCCH,CH,CH,CN
ethanenitrile 4-methyl-2,5-heptadienenitrile pentanedinitrile
(acetonitrile)

2. Compounds of the type RCN have to be called cavbonitriles when

R is a cycloalkane or similar group:

CN
cyclohexanecarbonitrile 1,4-benzenedicarbonitrile

3. Nitriles can be regarded as derivatives of carboxylic acids because

the acid, RCO,H, usually can be obtained from the nitrile, RCN:

0 0
II II
RC=N > RC-NH, > R-C-OH
-NH,
nitrile amide acid

A common system of naming nitriles takes the name of the corresponding

carboxylic acid and changes the suffix -oic to -onitvile:

benzonitrile benzamide benzoic acid

4. The substituent name for -CN is cyano. For example.

3-(3-cyanopheny1)propanoic acid cyanomethyl ethanoate

7-10 The Use of Greek Letters to Denote Substituent Positions 203

Exercise 7-12 Determine the systematic names for each of the following compounds:
a. (CH,),CHCH,CN CN

7-10 THE USE OF GREEK LETTERS TO DENOTE

SUBSTITUENT POSITIONS

In the older literature, considerable use is made of the Greek letters a , P, y ,

and so on, to designate successive positions along a hydrocarbon chain. The
carbon directly attached to the principal functional group is denoted as a,
the second carbon is p, and so on down the chain:

c,. . . . . . . C~-C,-CB-C,-X
t
functional group

The omega (a) position sometimes is used to designate the last position along
the chain regardless of its length. Thus a-bromohexanoic acid is 6-bromo-
hexanoic acid. In general, the use of Greek letters in the naming of compounds
is to be avoided. Because the usage is widespread, cognizance of the system
is important, but systematic naming and numbering systems should be used
whenever possible.

7-11 SINGLE- OR MULTIPLE-WORD NAMES

A troublesome point in naming chemical compounds concerns the rules gov-

erning when a compound is to be written as a single word (as methylamine) or
as two or more words (as methyl chloride). T o solve this problem, you must
determine whether the principal or parent function is an element or a compound
in its own right; if it is either one, then the name is written as a single word.
204 7 More on Nomenclature. Compounds Other Than Hydrocarbons

The following examples should help to clarify the system. In each name, the
part of the name that denotes the parent compound2 is italicized:

CH,CI CH3NH2 C H O

chioromethane methylamine cyclohexanecarbaldehyde

C,H,Li CH,MgCH,
0
benzenesulfonic acld phenyllith~um d~methylmagnesium

However, if the parent function cannot be construed as being a real

compound, the name is correctly written as two or more words. For example,
CH,Cl could be named as a chloride, in which case we use two words, methyl
chloride, to describe it. A chloride, or any halide, is a class of compound, not
a specific compound. To identify a specific halide, the adjective that describes
the halide is written as a separate word preceding the class name. Examples
follow in which the class name is italici~ed:~

phenylrnethyl bromide ethanoic acid tert-butyl alcohol

(benzyl bromide) (acetlc acld)

Additional Reading

J. H. Fletcher, 0. C. Dermer, and R. B. Fox, Nomenclature of Organic Compounds.

Principles and Practice, Advances in Chemistry Series, 126, American Chemical
Society, Washington, D.C., 1974.

2The parent compounds designated here as amine, carbaldehyde, and sulfonic acid are
properly ammonia, methanal, and sulfurous acid (HS0,H) when no substituent groups
are attached.
,These word-separated names sometimes are called radicofunctional names.
Supplementary Exercises

Supplementary Exercises

7-13 Name each of the following compounds using systematic nomenclature:

c.
OH
CH3CHCH,C0,CH3
. KCH3 CHO

7-14 Write structural formulas for each of the following substances:

a. 2-methyl-3-buten-2-01 k. 3-nitrobenzenamine
b. 2,3-dibromopropanoic acid I. butanedioic anhydride
c. methyl cyclohexanecarboxylate m. 2-butenamide
d. 2-hexenal n. heptanenitrile
e. trans-3-ethenyl-2-hepten-6-ynal o. 3-methylamino-2-0x0-pentanoic
f. 4-chloro-2-cyclohexenecarbaldehyde acid
g. (4-methanoylphenyl)ethanoic acid p. phenoxyethanamide
h. 4-pentyn-2-one q. N-butylphenylmethanamine
i. cyclopentanecarbonyl chloride r. N-butyl-N-methylbenzenamine
j. cis-2-methyl-2-butenyl
benzenecarboxylate