What Does
IUPAC Nomenclature Mean?
IUPAC is an acronym for International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, which is a globally recognize international chemistry standards organization that has named all the chemical organic substances in a systematic manner. This particular naming standard for chemical organic substances is known as IUPAC nomenclature. IUPAC nomenclature is published in the Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry (also called the Blue Book).
Corrosionpedia Explains IUPAC Nomenclature
Since every chemical compound has an IUPAC naming convention, an unambiguous chemical formula can be created with ease. IUPAC nomenclature also exists for inorganic chemistry.
Basic rules are followed to create an IUPAC name for an organic compound:
- Identify the principal functional group and substituent. This can be done by selecting the class of the chemical compound. For example, an alcohol represents an R-OH group.
- Identify the longest continuous chain that contains this principal functional group. This defines the root name. The other groups that are attached to this root name are called substituents.
- Perform numbering for the principal functional group and substituents.