IUPAC system and IUPAC rules of naming ethers

Common names of ethers follow after the names of alkyl / aryl groups written as separate words in alphabetical order. The word ether is added at the end.

In case of simple ethers, the prefix di is attached before the name of the alkyl group.

Examples:

C2H5 - O - C2H5 is Diethyl ether

C6H5 - O - C6H5 is Diphenyl ether

C2H5 - O - C6H5 is Dthyl phenyl ether.

According to the IUPAC nomenclature ethers are regarded as hydrocarbon derivatives in which a hydrogen atom is replaced by an alkoxy group - OR, the larger group (R) being chosen as the parent hydrocarbon. Ethers are named as alkoxyalkenes. The larger alkyl group forms the part of parent chain while lower alkyl group constitutes the alkoxy radical.

Examples:

methoxyethane

The numbering of the parent chain is done so that the carbon atom linked to the -O-atom gets the lowest number.

2 comments:

Saleem Saifi said...

Hey please tell me that from where we should start numbering of carbon compounds in ether....
From end of the chain or mid of the chain

Gaurav said...

sir,
i have a question that how can we name an organic compound in which the parent chain have a high prioritize functional group( e.g. carboxylic acid) and there is an substituent ether group present in chain onto which a double or may be triple bond is present.