IUPAC Nomenclature for Cyclic Aldehydes: Rules and Examples

Naming cyclic Aldehydes

Acetaldehyde

Cyclic aldehydes are aldehydes that have a cyclic structure. The general formula for a cyclic aldehyde is CnHnO. The common names for cyclic aldehydes are derived from the parent cyclic hydrocarbon and adding the suffix “-aldehyde” to indicate the presence of an aldehyde functional group.

The IUPAC names for cyclic aldehydes follow the general nomenclature rules for aldehydes. The aldehyde functional group is assigned the highest priority, and the position of the carbonyl group is indicated by numbering the carbon atoms in the ring starting at the carbon atom adjacent to the carbonyl group. The suffix “-al” is used to indicate the presence of an aldehyde functional group, and the name of the parent cyclic hydrocarbon is indicated by the prefix.

For example, cyclohexanecarbaldehyde is the IUPAC name for the cyclic aldehyde that has a cyclohexane ring structure with an aldehyde functional group attached. The carbonyl group is located on the first carbon atom of the cyclohexane ring, so the name starts with “cyclohexane”. The aldehyde functional group is indicated by the suffix “-al”, so the name ends with “carbaldehyde”.

Another example is cyclopentanecarboxaldehyde, which has a cyclopentane ring structure with an aldehyde functional group attached. The carbonyl group is located on the first carbon atom of the cyclopentane ring, so the name starts with “cyclopentane”. The aldehyde functional group is indicated by the suffix “-al”, but a “o” is added to “-al” to make it “-oxaldehyde” because there is a carboxyl group in the molecule. Therefore, the name of the compound becomes “cyclopentanecarboxaldehyde”.

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