Nomenclature of Organic Compounds By: Dr.

Muhammad Tahir Hussain, Professor (Chemistry) NTU, Faisalabad, Pakistan

NOMENCLATURE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Compound Functional Group General Formula General IUPAC Name Examples Common Names

1 Alkene C C RCH CHR' Alkane-ane+ene= alkene CH2 CH2 Ethylene, propylene

, ethene
2 Alkyne C C RC CR' Alkane-ane+yne= alkyne CH CH Acetylene, Butylene
, ethyne
Cyclo+alkane =
3 Cycloalkanes ------------ ------------ ---------------
Cycloalkane Cyclobutane cyclopentane
Cl “Alkyl halide”
CH3 Cl
4 Alkyl Halides X RX Haloalkane Ethyl bromide,
Chloromethane
3-Chlorohexane n-butyl chloride
Alkane-e+ol= alkanol Ethyl alcohol,
C2H5OH, ethanol
5 Alcohol OH R OH Alkanediol n-Propyl alcohol
1,2-Ethanediol
Alkanetriol isopropyl alcohol
CH3 Many phenols are known
6 Phenols OH OH Phenol OH OH by their common names
3-Methylphenol Phenol
like Picric acid, Catechol

C O C R O R CH3 O CH3 Diethyl ether, Divinyl

7 Ether Alkoxyalkanes ,
ether, Ethyl methyl ether
methoxymethane
O O O O
Oxirans (Alkene oxide),
8 C C R HC CH R' Alkyloxiranes H2C CH2 (CH3)2C CH2
(Epoxides) ethylene oxide
Oxirane 2,2-Dimethyloxirane
O Replace “–ic acid” by
O O Alkane-e+al = Alkanal CH3 C H aldehyde of the corresponding
9 Aldehydes , Ethanal
C H R C H Alkanedial acid name, Acetaldehyde,
1,6-Hexanedial Benzaldehyde
Add ketone after the
O O O alkyl groups attached to
Alkane-e+one = Alkanone
10 Ketones CH3 C CH3 carbonyl carbon,
C R C R' Alkanedione
, Propanone Dimethyl ketone
(acetone)
Alkane-e+oic acid= “acid” is added after the
Carboxylic CH3COOH, HCOOH
11 COOH R COOH Alkanoic acid name of source
acids Ethanoic acid, methanoic acid
Alkanedioic acid acetic acid, Palmitic acid
Nomenclature of Organic Compounds By: Dr. Muhammad Tahir Hussain, Professor (Chemistry) NTU, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Compound Functional Group General Formula General IUPAC Name Examples Common Names
Replace “ic” by “ate”
O O Replace “ic” by “ate” O
12 Ester R' R Methyl formate
C O C O Alkyl alkanoate C2H5 C O CH3
Ethyl acetate
O O Replace “ic acid” by “yl O O Acetyl chloride
Acid
13 C X R C X halide” in both common CH3 C Cl C2H5 C Br Propionyl bromide
Halides
and IUPAC systems Ethanoyl chloride Propanoyl bromide Benzoyl chloride

O O
Replace “acid’ by O O
Acid O O Acetic anhydride
14 “anhydride” in both CH3 C O C CH3
anhydride C O C R C O C R Acetic formic anhydride
systems Ethanoic anhydride
O O Replace “–ic acid” by
Replace “–oic acid” by O O “amide”
15 Amides C NH2 R C NH2 “amide” C2H5 C NH2 C2H5 C NHCH3 e.g. “acetamide”,
i.e. “alkanamide” Propanamide N-Methyl propanamide
benzamide
Replace “–e” of alkane by
amine (one word) CH3 NH2 C2H5 NH2
NH2 R NH2
“Alkanamine” Mathanamine Ethanamine “Alkylamine” (one word)
16 Amines
A number of aromatic (CH3CH2)3N methylamine, diethylamine
amines have special N,N-diethylethanamine
names
Priority List of Functional Groups for Nomenclature of Polyfunctional Compounds
Class Functional Group Suffix used
1 Carboxylic acid COOH oic acid 2 Sulphonic acids SO3H sulphonic acid
3 Ester COO Alkyl oate 4 Acid halide COX oyl halide
5 Amide CONH2 amide 6 Nitrile CN nitrile
7 Aldehyde CHO al 8 Ketone CO one
9 Alcohol OH ol 10 Amine NH2 amine
ether ( in common
11 Ethers O 12 Alkene C=C ene
system)
13 Alkyne CC yne
Nomenclature of Organic Compounds By: Dr. Muhammad Tahir Hussain, Professor (Chemistry) NTU, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Prefixes used for Functional Groups

Group Prefix Group Prefix Group Prefix

1 Br bromo 2 NH2 amino 3 CH2 CH vinyl

O
4 Cl chloro 5 oxo 6 CH2 CH CH2 allyl
C

7 F fluoro 8 NO2 nitro 9 CH3 CH CH propenyl

O formyl
10 I iodo 11 NO nitroso 12
C H (methanoyl)

O acetyl
13 R alkyl 14 CN cyano 15 C CH3 (ethanoyl)

16 OR alkoxy 18 CH2 benzyl

or C6H5
17 phenyl
or 
19 OH hydroxy 20 CH benzal