IUPAC Nomenclature of Organic Compounds

These flashcards cover key concepts related to IUPAC nomenclature for organic compounds, functional groups, and naming conventions.

IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; established systematic naming conventions for organic and inorganic compounds.

Functional Group

A specific group of atoms within a molecule responsible for the characteristic reactions of that compound.

Saturated Compound

A compound that contains only single covalent bonds and has the maximum number of hydrogen atoms connected to its carbon chain.

1

Meth

2

Eth

3

Prop

4

But

Unsaturated Compound

A compound that contains one or more double or triple bonds between carbon atoms.

Alkane

A saturated hydrocarbon with the general formula CnH2n+2, containing only single bonds.

Alkene

An unsaturated hydrocarbon with at least one double bond, with the general formula CnH2n.

Alkyne

An unsaturated hydrocarbon containing at least one triple bond, with the general formula CnH2n-2.

Alcohol

An organic compound containing one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups, with the suffix -anol.

Aldehyde

An organic compound with a carbonyl group (C=O) at the end of the carbon chain, with the suffix -anal.

Ketone

An organic compound with a carbonyl group (C=O) within the carbon chain, with the suffix -anone.

Carboxylic Acid

An organic compound containing a carboxyl group (-COOH), characterized by the suffix -anoic acid.

Ester

A compound formed from an acid and an alcohol with the suffix -anoate, where an alkyl group replaces the hydrogen in the hydroxyl group.

Amine

An organic compound derived from ammonia by replacement of one or more hydrogens by alkyl or aryl groups, with the suffix -anamine.

Substituent

An atom or group of atoms that replaces a hydrogen atom in a hydrocarbon.

Numerical Prefix

Indicates the number of identical substituents attached to the main chain, such as mono-, di-, tri-, etc.

Suffix

The part of the name in IUPAC nomenclature that specifies the functional group present in the compound.

Branched-chain Isomers

Compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in the arrangement of carbon atoms.

Straight-chain Isomers

Compounds that have carbon atoms arranged in a straight line, as opposed to branching.