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Nomenclature Of Alcohol, Important Topics For JEE Chemistry 2024

Nomenclature Of Alcohol : Alcohol is a type of organic substance that contains at least one hydroxyl functional group that is bonded to a saturated carbon atom, according to chemical definitions.
authorImageShrivastav 28 Feb, 2024
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Nomenclature Of Alcohol

Nomenclature of Alcohol : Alcohol, like all other organic molecules, have both formal and common names. In 1919, chemists from industry and academia formed the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). These chemists recognized the need for international standardization of chemistry weights, measures, names, and symbols.

The name of alcohol includes the parent alkane's name, a number designating the location of the hydroxyl group, and the -ol suffix, as per the IUPAC system. Names for organic compounds can take various forms.

1. Common name system: - In this system, alcohol is added as a separate word after the alkyl group that is attached to the -OH group. Alcohols with one to four carbon atoms are frequently called by common names, in which the name of the alkyl group is followed by the word alcohol.

2. Carbinol system: In this system, the simplest alcohol, СН 3 ОН, is called carbinol. More complex alcohols are named as alkyl substituted carbinols. The names are written as one word.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary carbinols are distinguished by the number of carbons bonded to the carbinol carbon. This classification is helpful because, similar to the alkyl halides, the various alcohol types exhibit significant variations in reactivity under specific circumstances. In recent years, the carbinol system of nomenclature has become less and less common. It is, nevertheless, widely available in the earlier literature on organic compounds.

2. IUPAC system: In 1919, chemists from industry and academia formed the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). These chemists recognized the need for international standardization of chemistry weights, measures, names, and symbols. An alcohol gets its name from the hydrocarbon from which it was derived. The final -e in the hydrocarbon's name is replaced by -ol, and the carbon atom to which the hydroxyl group (OH group) is bonded is indicated by a number preceding the name.

The following is list of some common primary alcohols based on the IUPAC naming system.

Name

Molecular Formula

Methanol (methyl alcohol)

CH 3 OH

Ethanol (ethyl alcohol)

C 2 H 5 OH

Propanol

C 3 H 7 OH

Butanol

C 4 H 9 OH

Pentanol

C 5 H 11 OH

Hexanol

C 6 H 12 OH

Heptanol

C 7 H 15 OH

Octanol

C 8 H 17 OH

Rules for naming the alcohols :

1. Identify the longest chain that has an OH (hydroxyl) group. The term "subsitutent" refers to a chain that has more carbons than the one that contains the OH group.

2. Put the OH on the chain's lowest possible number. Alphabetic or hydroxy groups are given priority when it comes to naming, apart from carbonyl groups like ketones and aldehydes.

3. When naming a cyclic structure, the -OH is assumed to be on the first carbon unless the carbonyl group is present, in which case the later will get priority at the first carbon.

4. When multiple -OH groups are on the cyclic structure, number the carbons on which the -OH groups reside.

5. Add -ol and remove the last e from the parent alkane chain. Use di, tri, etc. before the ol, after the parent name, when there are several alcohols present. for instance, 2,3-hexanediol. Should there be a carbonyl group, the -OH group is given the prefix "hydroxy," and the carbonyl group is appended to the parent chain name so that it concludes in -al or -one.

Rules For Naming The Alcohols Examples

8-chlorooctan-3-ol

IUPAC name: Cyclohexanol

IUPAC name: 2-bromo-5-chloro

IUPAC name: Cyclohex-3-en-1-ol

IUPAC name: 2-bromo-5-chlorocyclopentanol

IUPAC name: Cyclohex-3-en-1-ol

IUPAC name: 2-methylcyclopentanol

IUPAC name: 3-ethyl-5,5,6-trimethyl-2-propylcyloheptanol

IUPAC name: 6-ethyl-3-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexa-2,4-dienol

IUPAC name: 3-ethyl-5,5,6-trimethyl-2-propylcyloheptanol

IUPAC name: 6-ethyl-3-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexa-2,4-dienol

Nomenclature of Alcohol

Nomenclature of Alcohol

Alcohol

Common Name

Carbinol Name

IUPAC Name

R–OH

Alkyl alcohol

Carbinol

Alkanol

CH 3 –OH

Methyl alcohol

Carbinol

Methanol

CH 3 –CH 2 –CH 2 –OH

n–Propyl alcohol

Ethyl Carbinol

1-Propanol

Isopropyl alcohol

Dimethyl Carbinol

2-Propanol

Isobutyl alcohol

Isopropyl Carbinol

2-Methyl-1-Proanol

Sec-butyl alcohol

Ethyl methyl Carbinol

2-Butanol

Tert-Butyl alcohol

Trimethyl Carbinol

2-Methyl-propan-2-ol

Nomenclature Of Alcohol FAQs

Q.1 : What is the IUPAC name of methyl alcohol?

Ans:    IUPAC name of methyl alcohol is methanol.

Q.2 :  Isopropyl, Isobutyl, sec-butyl and tert-butyl prefixes are used in which naming convention?

Ans:    Isopropyl, Isobutyl, sec-butyl and tert-butyl prefixes are used in common naming systems.

Q.3 :  What is IUPAC nomenclature and when it was started?

Ans:     In 1919, chemists from industry and academia formed the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). These chemists recognized the need for international standardization of chemistry weights, measures, names, and symbols.

Q.4 : What is carbinol naming system for alcohol naming?

Ans:     In this system, the simplest alcohol, CH3OH, is called carbinol. More complex alcohols are named as alkyl substituted carbinols. The names are written as one word. The number of carbons bonded to the carbinol carbon distinguishes primary, secondary, and tertiary carbinols from one another. This classification is useful because the different types of alcohols show notable differences in reactivity under particular conditions, just like the alkyl halides. The carbinol system of nomenclature has been less and less prevalent in recent years. However, it is widely accessible in the older organic compound literature.
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