School of CBMES Organic Chemistry 2 Laboratory

Nomenclature of Aldehydes and Ketones

NOMENCLATURE OF ALDEHYDES As suggested by this nomenclature, a carbon adjacent

to the carbonly group is termed as the -carbon, the
Aldehydes are compounds with the general formula: hydrogens on the -carbon are termed as -hydrogen.
O
Many common carbonyl-containing substituent groups
are named by simple extension of the terminology like the
R H
suffix –yl is added to the appropriate prefix.

Both aldehydes and ketones contain the carbonyl group,

Example:
C=O, and are often referred to collectively as carbonyl
O
compounds. It is the carbonyl group that largely O O
determines the chemistry of aldehydes and ketones. CH2 C
C C
R H H3C H H3C H
A. Common Nomenclature Formyl group Acetyl group Propionyl group

Common names are almost always used for the

simplest aldehydes. In common nomenclature the O
suffix aldehyde is added to a prefix that indicates the
C
chain length. Ph H
Benzoyl Group
Example:
Such groups are called in general acyl group. (This
O O
is the source of the term acylation). To be named as an
C acyl group, a substituent group must be connected to the
C
H H H3C H remainder of the molecule at its carbonyl carbon
Formaldehyde Acetaldehyde
Example:
H3C CH2 O O
CH C C CH
CH3 H H3C O
Isovaraldehyde 4- Acetylbenzaldehyde

Simple substituted aldehydes can be named in the Be careful not to confuse the benzoyl group, an acyl group,
common system by designating the position of with the benzyl group, an alkyl group.
substituents with Greek letters, beginning at the CH3
position adjacent to the carbonyl group. O +
Ph C
H2 C CH2 O C
Ph H CH3
3 2
CH2 C benzoyl group benzyl group
1
H
Some aldehydes are well known long before any
system of nomenclature existed. These are known by
Where: 1 is the -position
traditional names that are illustrated by the following
2 is the - position
3 is the  - position
Examples:

Example:
Ph CH O O
Br O Cl O CH C
CH C
CH C H2C H
CH C H
H3C H H3C CH2 H Cinnamaldehyde Acrolein
 - Bromopropionaldehyde  - Chlorobutyraldehyde

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School of CBMES Organic Chemistry 2 Laboratory
Nomenclature of Aldehydes and Ketones

O the ring. (in older literature, the suffix

CH carboxaldehyde was used.)
O

Example:
O
Furfural
CH

B. Substitutive Nomeclature

The substitutive of an aldehyde is constructed Cyclohexanecarbaldehyde

from a prefix indicating the length of the carbon chain
followed by the suffix al. The prefix is the name of In aldehydes of this type, carbon-1 is not the
the corresponding hydrocarbon without the final e. carbonyl carbon, but rather the ring carbon attached
to the carbonyl group.
Example:
O
Example:
CH2 C
H3C CH2 H O
Butane + al = Butanal
6 CH
5 1
In numbering the carbon chain of the aldehyde,
the carbonyl carbon receives the number one. 4 2
3 CH3
Example: 2-Methylcyclohexanecarbaldehyde
O

CH2 C
H3C 3 CH 1 H Note: The name benzaldehyde is used in both common and
4 2 substitutive nomenclature.
CH3
2-Methylbutanal
NOMENCLATUTE OF KETONES
Note carefully the difference in numbering of
aldehydes in common and substitutive nomenclature. Ketones are compound having the structure of:
In common nomenclature, numbering begins at the O
carbon adjacent to the carbonyl (-carbon); in
C
substitutive nomenclature, the numbering begins at R R'
the carbonyl carbon itself.

As with diols and aldehydes, the final e is not A. Common Nomenclature

dropped when the carbon chain has more than one
aldehyde group. The simplest aliphatic ketone is the acetone with
the structure:
Example:
O O
O CH2 CH2 C C
C CH2 CH2 H H3C CH3
Acetone
H
Hexanedial
Certain aromatic ketones are named by attaching
the suffix ophenone to the appropriate prefix.
When the aldehyde group is attached to a ring,
the suffix carbaldehyde is appended to the name of

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School of CBMES Organic Chemistry 2 Laboratory
Nomenclature of Aldehydes and Ketones

Example: O O

O C C
H3C 2 CH2 4 CH2
O C 1 3 5
C CH3
6
H3C 2,4-Hexanedione
Acetophenone Benzophenone
Aldehyde and Ketone carbonyl group receive
higher priority than –OH or –SH groups for citation as
For most aliphatic ketones, the two groups principal group. (Recall the hierarchy of the organic
attached to the carbonyl carbon is named compounds).
alphabetically followed by the word ketone.
Example:
Example:
O OH
O
O C CH CH2 CH3
H3C C H3C 2 CH2 4 CH CH2
CH2 CH2 CH2 C 1 3 5

CH3 H3C CH3 C

H3C 6 CH2
Diethyl ketone Ethyl methyl ketone 7
4-Hydroxy-6-methyl-5-propyl-6-hepten-2-one
O
O
C
O
O CH2 C
C Ph C 2 CH2 4 CH3
H3C CH2 1 3 5
Benzyl methyl ketone Cyclohexyl phenyl ketone H
4-Oxopentanal
B. Substitutive Nomenclature

A ketone is named by giving the hydrocarbon name

of the longest carbon chain containing the carbonyl Exercise No. 2: Nomenclature of Aldehydes and
group, dropping the final e, and adding the suffix one. Ketones
The position of the carbonyl carbon is given the lowest
possible number. I. Give the structure of the following
compounds:
Example:
1. Isobutyraldehyde 2. o- Bromoacetophenone
O O 4. 4-(2-Chlorobutyryl)
3.  - Chlorobutyraldehyde
benzaldehyde
C CH2
H3C 2 CH2 4 CH3 6. 2-Oxocyclopentane
1 3 5 5. 3-Hydroxy-2-butanone
carbaldehyde
2-Pentanone Cyclohexanone
7. m-Methoxypropio
O 8. Phenylacetaldehyde
phenone

9. 1,3-Diphenyl-2-propen- 10. 4-Methyl-3-penten-2-

1-one one

H3C CH3
3,3-Dimethylcyclohexanone

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School of CBMES Organic Chemistry 2 Laboratory
Nomenclature of Aldehydes and Ketones

II. Give the substitutive name for each of the

following compounds. H3C
6. O
H3C
O
H3C CH3

1. CH C HC
O
H3C CH3
C CH3
7. CH2

O CH2

C HC
2.
H3C
H7C3O CH3
O
C C
8.
H3C C CH3
H5C2O H O
C C
3.
H CH
O
O
9. C
H
O O

HC C
4. CH3
O
Cl Br
C
10. H

H3C O
5. C

CH2
CH3

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