What is the name of #("H"_3"C")_3"CC"("CH"_3)_3#?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Jan 4, 2018

I would call it 2,2,3,3-tetramethylbutane, but there is only one way to construct this compound based on its name (how many ways can you put four methyl groups on a carbon chain so that the longest chain is 4 carbons?), so simply tetramethylbutane is sufficient.

You described it as:

#("H"_3"C")_3"C"-"C"("CH"_3)_3#

or

#"H"_3"C"-("H"_3"C")_2"C"-"C"("CH"_3)_2-"CH"_3#

or

There are four identical methyl substituents on the main, four-carbon backbone.

  • That 4-carbon chain is the longest carbon chain. The four-carbon backbone gives it a but- prefix for the parent compound, an alkane.
  • The 2,2,3,3 labels which carbons have non-#"H"# substituents attached.
  • Four identical groups require the prefix "tetra".

So, we assemble the name:

#"Substituent positions" + "Prefix" + "Substituent name(s)" + "parent name"#

#= 2,2,3,3 + "tetra" + "methyl" + "but" + "ane"#

#=> color(blue)(2,2,3,3-"tetramethylbutane")#

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