Organic Chemistry

CH₄

C₂H₆

C3H8

Meth-

Eth-

Prop-

But-

pent-

Hex-

Hept-

Oct-

Non-

Dec-

Undec-

Dodec-

• Named after the longest continuous carbon chain within the compound.  
• If two or more chains are of equal length, the most highly substituted chain (one with the greatest number of other groups attached) takes precedence.
• Number the chain
• Name the substituents
• Assign a number each substituent
• Complete the name

Named according to the number of carbon atoms in the ring with the prefix cyclo-

• Background: These are compounds containing carbon-carbon double bonds
• Same as naming alkanes except that the ending -ene is used rather than -ane.
• Number the backbone so the double bond receives the lowest number possible.

Named like cycloalkanes but with the suffix -ene rather than -ane.

• Background: Compounds that possess carbon-carbon triple bonds.  
• Use the suffix -yne replacing -ane in the parent alkane.

• Background: Compounds containing a halogen substituent.  
• Halogen is the highest priority substituent, ensure it has the lower number when deciding from which end of the carbon chain to start counting.

• Named by replacing the -e of the corresponding alkane with -ol.
• Chain is numbered such that the carbon attached to the hydroxyl group receives the lowest number possible.
• Molecules with two hydroxyl groups are called diols (or glycol) and are named wit hate suffix -diol.

• Background: Ethers are named as derivatives of alkanes and the larger alkyl group is chosen as the backbone.  
• Ether functionality is specified as an alkoxy- prefix, indicating the presence of an ether (oxy-) and the corresponding smaller alkyl group (alk-)
• Chain numbered to give the ether the lowest position.

• Named according to the longest chain containing the aldehyde functional group.
• Suffix -al replaces the -e of the corresponding alkane.  
• Carbonyl carbon receives the lowest number, although numbers are not always necessary since by definition an aldehyde is terminal and receives the number 1.  
• Ketones are named analogously with aldehydes but with -one as a suffix.  
• In complex molecules the carbonyl group can be named as a prefix with the term oxo-

Named with the ending -oic Acid replacing the -e.

• Longest Chain attached to the nitrogen atom is taken as the backbone. Simple compounds name the alkane and replace the final -e with -amine.  
• More complex molecules are often named using the prefix amino-.  
• The prefix N- is used to specify the location of an additional alkyl group attached the nitrogen.

• Single Bond
• Hydrocarbons that have the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to each carbon, and thus are said to be saturated.
• As the number of straight chain alkane increases, the melting point, and density also increase.
• Branched molecules have slightly lower boiling and melting points than their straight chain isomers.

Double Bond

Triple Bond

• Theory developed to account for discrepancies in orbital models.
• Combines various orbital types such as sp³

• Molecules that are attracted to positive charge.  
• Electron rich species that are often but not always negatively charged.
• Stronger the Base the stronger the nucleophiles

Both precise location and the exact momentum of an atomic particle cannot be simultaneously determined.