Sources and Uses

Planetary gas giants and moons

contain mostly methane
o
o

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Titan

Petroleum and fossil fuels

Natural gas

Methanogenic bacteria

Isomers
General Formula: CnH2n+2
Isomers
o Molecules having the same formula but different structures

Constitutional Isomers
o Isomers varying in the connectivity of their atoms
o E.g. Linear vs branched alkanes

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System
o Makes use of prefixes

MethEthPropButPentHexHeptOctNon-

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)

DecUndecDodecTridecTetradecPentadecIcosHenicosTriacon-

(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)
(20)
(21)
(30)

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkanes
1. Locate the longest continuous chain of carbon atoms. This chain
determines the parent name.
2. Number the longest chain beginning with the end of the chain nearer the
substituent
3. Use the numbers obtained from #2 to designate the location of the
substituent
Substituent name: prefix + -yl

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkanes
4. When two or more substituent are present, give each substituent a
number corresponding to its location on the longest chain

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkanes
5. When substituent are present on the same carbon, use that number
twice

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkanes
6. When two or more groups of the same substituent are identical, idicate
this by the use of prefixes di-, tri-, tetra-

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkanes
7. When two chains of equal length compete for selection as the parent
chain, choose the chain with the greater number of substituent

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkanes
8. When branching occurs at an equal distance from either end of the
longest chain, choose the name that gives the lower number at the first
point of difference

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkyl substituent
o Three-carbon group

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkyl substituent
o Four-carbon groups

Systematic Nomenclature
IUPAC System for branched alkyl substituent
o Five-carbon group

Classification of Carbon
primary

tertiary

secondary

Cycloalkanes
Alkanes that form one or more closed-ring structures
Monocyclic alkanes: CnH2n

Bicyclic Compounds

Cycloalkane
Nomenclature
Count the number of carbons in the ring and add
the prefix cyclo- to the parent name
If a substituent is present on a ring, the compound is
named as an alkyl substituted cycloalkane if the
cycloalkane contains greater number of carbon
atoms
For two or more substituents, the numbering starts at
the point of attachment of the attachment with the
highest alphabetical priority and proceed in the
direction of the nearest substituent