Nomenclature of Compounds Containing Single Functional Group

1) Alcohol

The hydroxyl derivatives of alkanes are known as alcohols.

General formula - (C_nH_2n+1.OH) or R-OH

Word root - alk

Primary suffix and the secondary suffix - ol (Count the number of carbon atoms and give its parent name- 'e' of the parent name is substituted by 'ol').

IUPAC name - alkane (-e) + ol = alkanol

Molecular formula	Common name (alkyl alcohol)	IUPAC name
CH3-OH C2H5-OH CH3-CH2-CH2-OH	Methyl alcohol Ethyl alcohol n-propyl alcohol	Methanol Ethanol Propan- 1- ol
	iso-propyl alcohol	Propan- 2- ol
	tert- butyl alcohol	2-methyl propan-2- ol
	ethylene glycol	1,2- ethane diol
	Glycerol (Glycerine)	1,2,3- propane triol

2) Haloalkanes

Halogen derivatives of alkane are known as haloalkane.

General Formula - C_nH_2n+1.X or R-X (X= Cl, Br, I)

Word root - alk

Prefix - halo

Suffix - ane

IUPAC name - haloalkane

Molecular Formula	Common name (alkyl halide)	IUPAC name
CH3 - Cl	Methyl chloride	Chloromethane
CH3-CH2-Br	Ethyl bromide	Bromoethane
CH3-CH2-CH2-I	Propyl iodide	Iodopropane
	Iso-propyl chloride	2- chloropropane
	Tert- butyl chloride	2- chloro- 2- methylpropane
	Iso-butyl chloride	1- chloro- 2- methylpropane

3) Alkyl cyanide

General Formula - R- C≡ N or R-CN (R = C_nH_2n+1)

Common name - Alkyl cyanide

IUPAC name - alkane + nitrile = alkane nitrile

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
CH3-CN	Methyl cyanide	Ethanenitrile
CH3-CH2-CN	Ethyl cyanide	Propane nitrile
CH3-CH2-CH2-CN	Propyl cyanide	Butane nitrile
CH3-CH2- CH2-CH2-CN	Butyl cyanide	Pentane nitrile

4) Alkyl isocyanide -

General formula -R-NC

Common name- Alkyl isocyanide

IUPAC name -alkyl + carbylamines

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
CH3-NC	Methyl isocyanide	Methyl carbylamine
C2H5- NC	Ethyl isocyanide	Ethyl carbylamine
CH3 -CH2- CH2- NC	Proyl isocyanide	Propyl carbylamine

5) Amines -

• 1º amine

General formula -R-NH₂

Common name -Alkyl + amine

IUPAC name - Alkanamine or Amino alkane

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
CH3-NH2	Methylamine	Methanamine or aminomethane
CH3-CH2-NH2	Ethylanime	Ethanamine or amino ethane
CH3-CH2-CH2-NH2	Propylamine	Propanamine or amino propane

• 2º amine

General formula-

IUPAC name -If two alkyl groups are present in the amine group, one N is written for one alkyl group + amino group + parent name of second alkyl group,

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
CH3-NH-CH3	Dimethylamine	N-methyl aminomethane
CH3-NH-CH2-CH3	Ethylmethylanime	N- methyl aminoethane

• 3ºamine

General formula -

IUPAC name -If three alkyl groups are present in the amine group, then two N, N is written for two alkyl group, amino group + parent name of the third alkyl group.

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
	Trimethylamine	N,N- dimethyl aminomethane
	Ethyl dimethylamine	N,N- dimethyl aminoethane

6) Nitro group -

General formula -R-NO₂

Common and IUPAC name -nitro + alkane = nitroalkane

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
CH3-NO2	Nitromethane	nitromethane
CH3-CH2-NO2	Nitroethane	nitroethane

7) Ethers -

General formula -

• R - O - R (simple ether)
• R - O - R' (mixed ether)

Common name -

• dialkyl ether (Simple ether)
• alphabetically (Mixed ether)

IUPAC name -

• alk + oxy + alkane (Simple ether)
• lower alk + oxy + higher alkane (Mixed ether)

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
CH3-O-CH3	Dimethyl ether	methoxymethane
C2H5-O-C2H5	Diethyl ehter	ethoxyethane
C2H5-O-CH3	Ethyl methyl ether	methoxyethane
CH3-O-CH2-CH2-O-CH3	1,2- dimethoxyethane	1,2 -dimethoxyethane
	di-isopropyl ether	2-isoproxypropane
	2- methoxy- 2- butene	2- methoxy-2- butene

8) Ketones -

General formula -

• 

• 

IUPAC name -Alkane - e +one = alkanone

Fixed the position of keto group and count the number of carbon atoms including -CO- group, give its parent name and 'e' of the parent name is substituted by one.

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
CH3-CO-CH3	Dimethyl ketone (acetone)	2- propanone
CH3-CO-CH3-CH3	Ethyl methyl ketone	2- butanone
	Methyl iso-propylketone	3-methyl butan-2-one
CH3-CH2-CH2-CO-CH3	Methyl proplketone	pentan-2- one

9) Carboxylic acids -

General formula - RCOOH or

IUPAC name - alkane -e + oic acid = alkanoic acid

Fixed the position of -COOH group and count the number of carbon atoms including -COOH group, give its parent name and 'e' of the parent name is substituted by -oic acid.

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
HCOOH(exception)	Formic acid	Methanoic acid
CH3-COOH	Acetic acid	Ethanoic acid
CH3-CH2-COOH	Propanoic acid	Propanoic acid
CH3-CH2-CH2-COOH	Butyric acid	Butanoic acid
	Oxalic acid	Ethanedioic acid
	Citric acid	2- hydroxy propane-1,2,3- trioic acid
	Trataric acid	2,3- dihydroxy butane 1,4- dioic acid.

10) Aldehydes -

General formula - RCHO or

IUPAC name - alkane -e + al = alkanal

Fixed the position of -CHO froup and count the number of carbon atoms including -CHO group, give it parent name and 'e' of the parent name is replaced by 'al'.

Molecular Formula	Common name	IUPAC name
HCHO (exception)	Formaldehyde	methanal
CH3-CHO	Acetaldehyde	ethanal
CH3-CH2-CHO	Propionaldehyde	propanal
	Iso- butyraldehyde	2-methyl propanal
	β- methyl, butyraldehyde	3- methyl butanal
CHO-CH=CH-CH2-CHO	Pent- 2- ene- 1,5 -dial	pent- 2 ene- 1,5- dial

11) Amides -

General Formula - RCONH₂ or

IUPAC name - alkane -e + amide = alkanamide

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
H-CONH2 (Exception)	Formamide	Methanamide
CH3-CONH2	Acetamide	Ethanamide
CH3-CH2-CONH2	Propionamide	Propanamide
CH3-CH2-CH2-CONH2	Butyramide	Butanamide
NH2-CO-CH2	Urea	Amino methanamide

12) Esters -

General formula - R-COOR or R-COOR'

Prefix - alkyl

word root - alk

Primary suffix - ane, ene, or yne

Secondary suffix - oate

IUPAC name - alkyl alkanoate

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
HCOOCH3 (Exception)	Methyl formate	Methyl methanoate
CH3-COO-CH3	Methyl acetate	Methyl ethanoate
CH3-COO-C2H5	Ethyl acetate	Ethyl ethanoate
	Ethyl methyl propionate	2-methyl ethyl propanoate
	Ethyl 1,2- ethyl butanoate	ethyl- 2-ethyl butanoate

13) Acid anhydrides -

General formula -

• R-CO-O-CO-R or (SIMPLE)

• R-CO-O-CO-R' OR (MIXED)

IUPAC name - alkanoic anhydride

Molecular formula	Common name	IUPAC name
	Acetic anhydride	Ethanoic anhydride
	butyric propionic anhydride	butanoic propanoic anhydride

Reference:

Adhikari, Rameshwar; Khanal, Santosh; Subba , Bimala; Adhikari, Santosh; Khatiwada, Shankar Pd. Universal Chemistry XI. First. Vol. 1st. Kathmandu: Oasis Publication, 2069.

Chaudhary, Ganga Ram; Karna, Shila Kant Lal; Sharma, Kanchan; Singh, Sanjay; Gupta, Dipak Kumar. A Textbook of Higher Secondary Chemistry XI. Ed. 2nd. Kathmandu: Vidyarthi Pustak Bhandar, 2069 (2012).