Naming Aldehydes and Ketones

Base names The base name is determined by the longest continuous carbon chain that contains the carbonyl group. The suffix -al denotes an aldehyde; the suffix -one denotes a ketone. Numbering always begins at the chain end nearest the carbonyl. Thus, the compound below is not named 4-formyloctane or octane-4-carbaldehyde.

The aldehyde carbonyl must be at the end of the chain, thus the redundant locant number 1 is not used.

Additional rules are listed below: Some of these review earlier material. 1. Alkyl, aryl, and halogen sidechains are names in alphabetical order with their proper locant numbers.

2. The multipliers di-, tri-, etc. are added as necessary but do not affect alphabetical order. Only the prefix iso-, as in isopropyl, affects alphabetical order.

3. When there are multiple carbonyl groups, multipliers, di-, tri-, etc., are used with appropriate locant numbers for each carbonly group.

4. When the formyl group, -CHO, is attached directly to a ring, the ring name is followed by the suffix -carbaldehyde.

5. When the formyl group, -CHO, is attached directly to a benzene ring, the compound is commonly names as a benzaldehyde but can also be named as a benzenecarbaldehyde. (This problem does not use the latter.)

6. Unsaturated compounds are named as aldehydes or ketones. The multiple bond is signified by a suffix, -ene or -yne, with a locant number.

7. The hydroxy and alkoxy groups of are named using prefixes (hydroxy for -OH and alkoxy for -OR) with locant numbers.

8. Stereo prefixes, E and Z or cis and trans, are used to designate double bond configuration. In the second example only the E/Z designation is unambiguous.

9. When the carbonyl group is part of a ring, the base name is derived from the corresponding cycloalkane and numbering starts at the carbonyl carbon.

10. The IUPAC system accepts some widely-used common names, examples below. (This question does not accept common names.)