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Introductory IUPAC Organic Nomenclature

IUPAC nomenclature uses the longest continuous chain of carbon atoms to determine the basic root name of the compound.
The root name is then modified due to the presence of different functional groups which replace hydrogen or carbon atoms in the parent sturcture.

There are a number of different ways to modify the root name to indicate the functional groups present.


These pages focus primarily on the substitutive and functional group nomenclature but also include examples of all systems in cases where the name is generated by a combination of methods.

Remember:

However, the most important feature of nomenclature is that given a complete name, a single unique structure can be drawn"




organic chemistry ©Dr. Ian Hunt, Department of Chemistry University of Calgary