Introduction
The downright indifference or even aversion of many chemists to appelation problems of their science is to some degree understandable since
there are simply too many divergent and inhomogeneous nomenclature
systems to choose from. Moreover, the same naming principles are frequently applied quite differently by different chemical journals, textbooks
and handbooks. Meanwhile, however, consensus has been reached to
use, wherever possible, an internationally binding uniform nomenclature
system that nevertheless tolerates certain alternatives. It has therefore
become necessary for every chemist - whether student or professionally
active - to acquire at least an elementary working knowledge of this system. This is all the more urgent since indexing by the globally active
Chemical Abstracts Service (Chem. Abstr.) and by Beilsteins Handbook of
Organic Chemistry is generally based on the IUPAC nomenclature rules,
even though certain deviations or extrapolations therefrom are often
employed. This will be taken into account where appropriate.
The unease generated by the rules of systematic nomenclature can
probably be dispelled somewhat by the following remarks: the naming of
a chemical compound and the derivation of a structure from a given systematic name follows the same general principles as chemical synthesis
and constitutional determination by degradation, respectively. The chemical structure to be named is broken down into its constituents which are
then given the appropriate systematic designations. The name fragments
thus obtained are then combined to the full name according to a definite
set of rules. On the other hand, a compound name is translated into the corresponding structural formula by separating it into its nomenclatural
subunits which are assigned partial formulae that then are joined together
to give the full structural representation.
The basic idea of systematic nomenclature, whose various modes of
application are to be conveyed here, resides in the concept of the "parent
structure" - an acyclic or (poly)cyclic hydrocarbon or hetero system -
whose hydrogens can be substituted by other atoms, groups of atoms,
or even subordinate parent systems themselves. These substituents can
likewise be further substituted in various ways. At the same time there
The downright indifference or even aversion of many chemists to appelation problems of their science is to some degree understandable since
there are simply too many divergent and inhomogeneous nomenclature
systems to choose from. Moreover, the same naming principles are frequently applied quite differently by different chemical journals, textbooks
and handbooks. Meanwhile, however, consensus has been reached to
use, wherever possible, an internationally binding uniform nomenclature
system that nevertheless tolerates certain alternatives. It has therefore
become necessary for every chemist - whether student or professionally
active - to acquire at least an elementary working knowledge of this system. This is all the more urgent since indexing by the globally active
Chemical Abstracts Service (Chem. Abstr.) and by Beilsteins Handbook of
Organic Chemistry is generally based on the IUPAC nomenclature rules,
even though certain deviations or extrapolations therefrom are often
employed. This will be taken into account where appropriate.
The unease generated by the rules of systematic nomenclature can
probably be dispelled somewhat by the following remarks: the naming of
a chemical compound and the derivation of a structure from a given systematic name follows the same general principles as chemical synthesis
and constitutional determination by degradation, respectively. The chemical structure to be named is broken down into its constituents which are
then given the appropriate systematic designations. The name fragments
thus obtained are then combined to the full name according to a definite
set of rules. On the other hand, a compound name is translated into the corresponding structural formula by separating it into its nomenclatural
subunits which are assigned partial formulae that then are joined together
to give the full structural representation.
The basic idea of systematic nomenclature, whose various modes of
application are to be conveyed here, resides in the concept of the "parent
structure" - an acyclic or (poly)cyclic hydrocarbon or hetero system -
whose hydrogens can be substituted by other atoms, groups of atoms,
or even subordinate parent systems themselves. These substituents can
likewise be further substituted in various ways. At the same time there