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Substituents of Organic Compounds
Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons that contain only single bonds between carbon atoms. Their general formula is CₙH₂ₙ₊₂, where n represents the number of carbon atoms.
Branched Alkyl Radicals
| Name | Formula | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Isopropyl | -CH(CH₃)₂ | |
| Isobutyl | -CH₂CH(CH₃)₂ | |
| sec-Butyl | -CH(CH₃)CH₂CH₃ | |
| tert-Butyl | -C(CH₃)₃ | |
| Neopentyl | -CH₂C(CH₃)₃ |
Halogens as Substituents
Halogens act as substituents and are named by adding the suffix "-o" to the element name:
| Element | Substituent | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Fluorine | Fluoro- | -F |
| Chlorine | Chloro- | -Cl |
| Bromine | Bromo- | -Br |
| Iodine | Iodo- | -I |
Aryl Groups
Aryl groups come from aromatic compounds. The most common is the phenyl group:
| Name | Structure |
|---|---|
| Phenyl | C₆H₅- |
| Benzyl | C₆H₅CH₂- |
| Naphthyl | C₁₀H₇- |
Other Common Substituents
| Name | Formula |
|---|---|
| Nitro- | -NO₂ |
| Amino- | -NH₂ |
| Hydroxy- | -OH |
| Methoxy- | -OCH₃ |
| Ethoxy- | -OCH₂CH₃ |
| Cyano- | -CN |
Examples
1-chloro-2-methylbutane
A butane with a methyl group at position 2 and a chlorine atom at position 1.
2-phenyl-3-methylhexane
A hexane with a phenyl group at position 2 and a methyl at position 3.
3-tert-butyl-2-methylpentane
A pentane with a tert-butyl group at position 3 and a methyl at position 2.
4-bromo-2-chlorotoluene
A toluene (methylbenzene) with a bromine atom at position 4 and a chlorine atom at position 2.
3-ethyl-2-methylpentane
If we number from the left, we have an ethyl at position 3 and a methyl at position 2. If we number from the right, we have an ethyl at position 3 and a methyl at position 4. The set (2,3) is lower than (3,4), so the first numbering is correct: 3-ethyl-2-methylpentane.