3.5 Ethers and Thioethers
131
If two identical functional parent structures are linked by an oxygen atom
the nomenclature for assemblies of identical units is used as a rule.
HOOC-HzC-CHz-O-CHz-CHz-COOH
3,3' -Oxydipropionic acid
Cyclic ethers of the epoxide type can be named additively as ... oxides, substitutively as epoxy .•. compounds (compare with bridged systems, p. 65)
or, most uniformly, as heterocycles.
H
I
Me-C-CH2
\ /
o
Methyloxirane
(Propylene oxide is only correct
1,2-Epoxypropane if the trivial name Propylene
Propene oxide
instead of Propene is retained)
For linear polyethers and homologous compounds replacement nomenclature is recommended (p. 54).
Me" /""'-... /""'-... /""'-... 2 "Me 2,8-Dioxa-4,6-dithianonane
o
S
S
0
Monoethers of polyvalent alcohols are best named substitutively but occasionally also quite trivially by attaching to the name of the alcohol the
descriptive terms ... monomethyl ether or simply •.. methyl ether.
3-Propoxypropane-l,2-diol
or: Glycerol I-propyl ether
or: 1-0-Propylglycerol
Individual species of the genus thioether can again most uniformly be
named as ... sulfane and ... sulfanyl derivatives, respectively (formerly:
... sulfides and ... thio derivatives, respectively).
H3C-S-CHz-CHz-CHz-CHz-CHz-CH3 Hexylmethylsulfane
(or: ... sulfide)
or: l-(methylthio)hexane
HsCz-S-CHz-S-CHz-S-CzHs
Bis(ethylsulfanylmethyl)sulfane
formerly:
Bis( ethylthiomethyl) sulfide
Cyclic sulfides (thioethers) are treated as heterocycles, in the same way as
their ether counterparts. Polysulfides substituted at both ends are named
substitutively as ... polysulfanes (formerly: ... polysulfides).