
Hydrocarbon molecules with a ring but no π bonds are called cycloalkanes and have the molecular formula CnH2n. Molecules that have no rings are said to be acyclic. The IUPAC name for an cycloalkane is simply the name of the alkane with the same number of carbons, with the prefix “cyclo”. Thus the simplest cycloalkane is cyclopropane (C3H6) has a three membered ring. Cyclobutane (C4H8) has a four membered ring, cyclopentane has a five membered ring, and so on.



When there are two or more susbtituents, the one with the highest alphabetical priority is considered to be connected to the number–1 carbon of the ring. Counting around the ring is continued by the path that leads to the lowest sum of locator numbers. For example, in the structure below, the butyl group defines the number–1 carbon, C–1. We continue counting toward the next nearest substituent, the methyl group at C–2 followed by the ethyl group at C–4. However, in the name, ethyl appears before methyl. Thus we have 1–butyl–4–ethyl–2–methylcyclohexane


