Naming of Saturated Hydrocarbons:

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Naming of Saturated Hydrocarbons.

 

Naming of Saturated Unbranched Chain Compounds and Radicals 

Names of the  members of this series consist of a numerical term, followed by "-ane" with elision of terminal "a" from the numerical term. The generic name of saturated acyclic hydrocarbons (branched or unbranched) is "alkane".

Examples of names:

1   Methane	22 Docosane
2   Ethane	23 Tricosane
3   Propane	24 Tetracosane
4   Butane	25 Pentacosane
5   Pentane	26 Hexacosane
6   Hexane	27 Heptacosane
7   Heptane	28 Octacosane
8   Octane	29 Nonacosane
9   Nonane	30 Triacontane
10 Decane	31 Hentriacontane
11 Undecane	32 Dotriacontane
12 Dodecane	33 Tritriacontane
13 Tridecane	40 Tetracontane
14 Tetradecane	50 Pentacontane
15 Pentadecane	60 Hexacontane
16 Hexadecane	70 Heptacontane
17 Heptadecane	80 Octacontane
18 Octadecane	90 Nonacontane
19 Nonadecane	100 Hectane
20 Icosane	132 Dotriacontahectane
21 Henicosane

Naming Radicals: Univalent radicals derived from saturated unbranched acyclic hydrocarbons by removal of hydrogen from a terminal carbon atom are named by replacing the ending "-ane" of the name of the hydrocarbon by "-yl".

The carbon atom with the free valence is numbered as 1. As a class, these radicals are  alkyls.

A saturated branched acyclic hydrocarbon is named by prefixing the designations of the side chains to the name of the longest chain present in the formula.

 

The following names are retained for unsubstituted hydrocarbons only:

Isobutane       ,Isopentane     ,Neopentane   ,Isohexane      

LOWEST LOCANT RULE : The longest chain is numbered from one end to the other by Arabic numerals, the direction being so chosen as to give the lowest numbers possible to the side chains. When series of locants containing the same number of terms are compared term by term, that series is "lowest" which contains the lowest number on the occasion of the first difference. This principle is applied irrespective of the nature of the substituent’s.

NAMING BRANCHED CHAIN: Univalent branched radicals derived from alkanes are named by prefixing the designation of the side chains to the name of the unbranched alkyl radical possessing the longest possible chain starting from the carbon atom with the free valence, the said atom being numbered as 1.

1-Methylpentyl
2-Methylpentyl
5-Methylhexyl

The following names may be used for the unsubstituted radicals only:

Isopropyl, Isobutyl, sec-Butyl , tert-Butyl , Isopentyl ,Neopentyl ,tert-Pentyl , Isohexyl.

Alphabetical oder : If two or more side chains of different nature are present, they are cited in alphabetical order.

The alphabetical order is decided as follows:

(i) The names of simple radicals are first alphabetized and the multiplying prefixes are then inserted.ie multiplying prefixes are not considered in alphabetization.

4-Ethyl-3,3-dimethylheptane [di ignored in alphabetization]

(ii) The name of a complex radical is considered to begin with the first letter of its complete name.

7-(1,2-Dimethylpentyl)-5-ethyltridecane

A complex radical: Radical which has digits and numeral prefix in itslf. Such radicals are written in parenthesis.

Digits : In cases where names of complex radicals are composed of identical words, priority for citation is given to that radical which contains the lowest locants at the first cited point of difference in the radical.

If two or more side chains are in equivalent positions, the one to be assigned the lower number is that cited first in the name.

Multiplying prefix  for simple radicals: The presence of identical unsubstituted radicals is indicated by the appropriate multiplying prefix di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta-, octa-, nona-, deca-, undeca, etc.

Multiplying prefix  for complex radicals:  The presence of identical radicals each substituted in the same way may be indicated by the appropriate multiplying prefix bis-, tris-, tetrakis-, pentakis-, etc. The complete expression denoting such a side chain may be enclosed in parentheses .

5,5-Bis(1,1-dimethylpropyl)-2-methyldecane

7-(1,1-Dimethylbutyl)-7-(1,1-dimethylpentyl)tridecane

 

Maximum Substituent :  If chains of equal length are competing for selection as main chain in a saturated branched acyclic hydrocarbon, then the choice goes in series to:

(a) The chain which has the greatest number of side chains.

(b) The chain whose side chains have the lowest-numbered locants.

(c) The chain having the greatest number of carbon atoms in the smaller side chains.

(d) The chain having the least branched side chains.