Thiol Nomenclature

the parent is the longest chain that contains the -SH group

the IUPAC suffix is -thiol

Common names: name the alkyl group bonded to sulfur followed by the word mercaptan
example: 2-butanethiol or sec-butyl mercaptan

Thiols and Related Compounds

Thiols Rule:
511.1- Compounds containing -SH as the principal group directly attached to carbon are named
"thiols". In substitutive nomenclature their names are formed by adding "-thiol" as a suffix to the
name of the parent compound. When -SH is not the principal group, the prefix "mercapto-" is
placed before the name of the parent compound to denote an unsubstituted -SH group.
Note: "Thiol" is not to be confused with "thiole" which denotes a five-membered ring
embodying one sulfur atom.

Examples to Rule C-511.1

511.2 - The use of "thio-" prefixed to the trivial name of a phenol, indicating replacement of the
hydroxylic oxygen by sulfur, may be continued in simple instances, but the nomenclature of Rule
C-511.1 is preferred.
Examples to Rule C-511.2

511.3 - Salts of thiols are named analogously to salts of hydroxy compounds, with "thiolate" in
place of "olate", or "sulfide" in place of "oxide".
Example to Rule C-511.3

511.4 - When "mercapto-" is used as a prefix in the name of a thiol the salts of the latter are
named by use of the prefix "sulfido-" for
Example to Rule C-511.4

Disodium p-sulfidobenzenesulfonate

511.5 When radicofunctional nomenclature is used for a compound RSH, the name of the
radical R is followed by the functional class name hydrosulfide.
Example to Rule C-511.5

Ethyl Hydrosulfide