Organic Chemistry Substituents: Prefixes for Identifying Attached Atoms and Groups

prefixes for multiples of substituents of the same type

fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo

In organic chemistry, a substituent is an atom or a group of atoms that is attached to a carbon atom in a molecule. There are several prefixes that are used to indicate the number of substituents of the same type that are attached to a molecule. These prefixes are:

1. Mono-: This prefix is used to indicate that there is only one substituent of the same type attached to the parent molecule. For example, CH3- is a methyl group, and CH3Br is methyl bromide.

2. Di-: This prefix is used when there are two substituents of the same type attached to the parent molecule. For example, Cl2CH- is a dichloro group, and Cl2CHCH3 is 1,1-dichloroethane.

3. Tri-: This prefix is used when there are three substituents of the same type attached to the parent molecule. For example, CH3CH2CH2O- is a propoxy group, and CH3CH2CH2OH is 1-propanol.

4. Tetra-: This prefix is used when there are four substituents of the same type attached to the parent molecule. For example, CCl4 is tetrachloromethane, which has four chlorine atoms attached to the carbon atom.

5. Penta-: This prefix is used when there are five substituents of the same type attached to the parent molecule. For example, PCl5 is phosphorus pentachloride, which has five chlorine atoms attached to the phosphorus atom.

6. Hexa-: This prefix is used when there are six substituents of the same type attached to the parent molecule. For example, C6H6 is benzene, which has six hydrogen atoms attached to six carbon atoms in a ring structure.

Note that these prefixes are not limited to just substituents of the same type, but can be used for any set of identical substituents attached to a molecule.

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