Alkynes are hydrocarbons with at least one carbon-carbon triple bond. Naming them follows specific rules based on the longest chain containing the triple bond. The suffix -yne is added to indicate the triple bond's presence.
Alkynyl substituents are named by adding -ynyl to the parent alkane name. For complex alkynes with multiple bonds or substituents, additional rules apply to ensure clear and systematic naming.
Naming Alkynes
Alkyne naming conventions
- Alkynes are unsaturated hydrocarbons containing at least one carbon-carbon triple bond ($-C \equiv C-$)
- The longest continuous chain containing the triple bond serves as the parent chain when naming alkynes
- Add the suffix -yne to the parent alkane name to indicate the presence of a triple bond (ethyne, propyne)
- Number the carbon atoms in the chain to indicate the position of the triple bond, with the carbon atom closest to the end of the chain assigned the number 1
- If the triple bond is equidistant from both ends of the chain, start numbering from the end nearest to the first substituent
- Examples:
- $CH \equiv C-CH_2-CH_3$: But-1-yne (4-carbon chain with triple bond at position 1)
- $CH_3-C \equiv C-CH_2-CH_3$: Pent-2-yne (5-carbon chain with triple bond at position 2)
- IUPAC nomenclature is used to systematically name alkynes and other organic compounds
Identification of alkynyl substituents
- Alkynyl substituents are derived from alkynes by removing one hydrogen atom from the end of the chain
- Add the suffix -ynyl to the parent alkane name to indicate an alkynyl substituent (ethynyl, propynyl)
- Indicate the position of the triple bond using a number followed by a hyphen and the suffix -ynyl
- Examples:
- $CH \equiv C-$: Ethynyl (2-carbon alkynyl substituent)
- $CH \equiv C-CH_2-$: Prop-1-ynyl (3-carbon alkynyl substituent with triple bond at position 1)
- $CH_3-C \equiv C-$: Prop-2-ynyl (3-carbon alkynyl substituent with triple bond at position 2)
Naming rules for complex alkynes
- When multiple triple bonds are present, modify the suffix to include the number of triple bonds (-diyne for two, -triyne for three)
- Indicate the positions of the triple bonds using numbers separated by commas (1,3-diyne, 2,4-diyne)
- When both double and triple bonds are present in the same compound:
- Use the suffix -en- for double bonds, followed by the suffix -yne for triple bonds
- Indicate the positions of the double and triple bonds using numbers, with the double bond numbers preceding the triple bond numbers
- If the compound contains both alkene and alkyne substituents, name the alkene substituents before the alkyne substituents
- Examples:
- $CH \equiv C-CH_2-C \equiv CH$: Penta-1,4-diyne (5-carbon chain with triple bonds at positions 1 and 4)
- $CH_2=CH-C \equiv C-CH_3$: Pent-1-en-3-yne (5-carbon chain with a double bond at position 1 and a triple bond at position 3)
- $CH_2=CH-CH_2-C \equiv C-CH_3$: Hex-1-en-4-yne (6-carbon chain with a double bond at position 1 and a triple bond at position 4)
Structural considerations
- Alkynes are an important functional group in organic chemistry
- Isomers are compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements
- Substituents are atoms or groups of atoms that replace hydrogen atoms in a hydrocarbon chain