IUPAC nomenclature system: International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) put forth a nomenclature system based on the structure of the compounds and it was accepted all over the world. There are three units in the IUPAC name of any carbon compound: parent, suffix and prefix.
These are arranged in the name as follows:
Prefix-parent-suffix:
An IUPAC name is given to a compound on the basis of the name of its parent alkane. The name of the compound is constructed by attaching appropriate suffix and prefix to the name of the parent-alkane.
The steps in the IUPAC nomenclature of straight chain compounds are as follows:
Step 1: Draw the structural formula of the straight chain compound and count the number of carbon atoms in it. The alkane with the same number of carbon atoms is the parent alkane of the concerned compound. Write the name of this alkane.
In case the carbon chain of concerned compound contains a double bond, change the ending of the parent name from ‘ane’ to ‘ene’. If the carbon chain in the concerned compound contains a triple bond, change the ending of the parent name from ‘ane’ to ‘yne’.
Step 2: If the structural formula contains a functional group, replace the last letter ‘e’ from the parent name by the condensed name of the functional group as the suffix.
(Exception: The condensed name of the functional group ‘halogen’ is always attached as the prefix.)
Step 3: Number the carbon atoms in the carbon chain from one end to the other. Assign the number T to carbon in the functional group -CHO or -COOH, if present. Otherwise, the chain can be numbered in two directions. Accept that numbering which gives smaller number to the carbon carrying the functional group. In the final name, a digit (number) and a character (letter) should be separated by a small horizontal line.
