Naming Ethers - Video Tutorials & Practice Problems
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Ethers are one of the few functional groups that are more often named with common names vs. IUPAC names. Regardless, we’ll learn how to use both naming systems.
Common Name
List both alkyl groups in alphabetical order and follow with the word ether.
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concept
How to name ethers using the common naming system.
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Now let's talk about naming ethers. So it turns out that ethers are very simple molecules. As you guys remember, the functional group is R O R. And what that means is that since the very simplistic molecules thes we're actually gonna be a few molecules that we name with both common names and AIPAC names. Now, if you guys remember AIPAC names are the ones that were developed after 1919 at the AIPAC convention. That means every name that we have for molecule before that date is considered a common name. And it turns out that because ethers air so simple, a lot of times we're going to use common names more often than the AIPAC names for them. So it's actually go ahead and start off learning the common way first, and then I'll teach us the AIPAC way as well. So it turns out that the common name, the reason we use it so much is because it's very easy to use. All it is is that you name the two are groups in alphabetical order and you end with the word either. Okay, so I'm sure you guys have maybe already started lab and you maybe have worked with any ether and lab. They have di ethyl ether, dimethyl ether. That just means that the two are groups are either metals or Ethel's right. In this case, this would be a metal pro opal ether. Because, as you can see, I have an R o r functional group, and I'm just naming the to alcohol groups according to their size. So I have a one carbon and a three carbons. They'll be method propose either. See, how is that is so most the time. We're gonna use the common naming system for very simple ethers.
IUPAC Name
Give the longest carbon chain the root name, then name the smaller chain as an alkoxy substituent.
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concept
How to name ethers using the IUPAC naming system.
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But it does turn out that sometimes ethers get more complex. Sometimes they have bigger branches on one side, and it might be advantageous to use AIPAC. So let's go ahead and see what the same ether would look like if we used the AIPAC convention. Okay, so for AIPAC, what we would do is we would use the same rules that we use for naming Al Keynes. But we would name the O R Group as a substitue in instead. So what I would say is, which of my our groups is the biggest one in this case? I have a one carbon side and a three carbon side. So obviously I'm gonna use my three carbon side to be my route. Okay. And in this case, my route is gonna be propane. Okay, so I know that I'm dealing with propane now. I just have to name the O R group that attached to it. Okay. And the way that we name our groups is as Alcock see groups. Okay, so Al just stands for the number of carbons in the chain. So you can imagine that if it was a four carbon chain, it would be butoh Oxy. Okay, Four carbons. So in this case, this one's really easy. I just have a one carbon chain attached to directly to the Oh, so this would be considered myth Oxy. Okay, but now it's not enough just to say that it's meth oxy propane Because we know that propane actually has two positions. It has one at the end, which would be the first position here, and it also has the middle position. Okay, Now you're wondering, What about the last one? What about carbon three? Well, remember that carbon three is the same as carbon one because I could always just It's there. It's symmetrical. I could always just put it on three. And that would just be my starting point. Okay, But I have to name the location. So obviously, what I would do is it would give my priority to the substitue int. So this would be one meth oxy propane, because it's starting at the first carbon pretty easy, right? Overall. Ethers air. Pretty easy to name. Let's go ahead and do a practice example in this example, I want you guys to figure out what the common name would be and the AIPAC name would be both of them together for this molecule. So I want to individual names for the same. Either go ahead and try.
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example
Provide the correct common name of the following ether.
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1m
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let's start off with the common name. So for this one, the common name was actually a little bit more challenging because I'm starting off with an ether that has a little bit more branching than the last one. For example, this our group here should have been really easy for you guys to name. That's an ethyl group. But maybe some of you guys forgot the name of the other. Our group, or maybe you just got it wrong. I know that you would be surprised how easy to see if he's wrong. This is actually a four carbon group that's attached at the primary carbon. And then it has, like, this, like, isopropyl looking thing at the end. So this is one of the common substitutes that we called is a beautiful. Okay, so see, a few guys already got that wrong or did not do that. I'm not saying that to, like, rub it in your face or anything. I'm just saying that that's why common doesn't work so well. The bigger the branches get the worst, it is to use common Okay, the common naming system. So in this case, I would put them in alphabetical order. Now, remember, there's another rule which says that is so actually, Does count towards alphabetical order the I and I. So? So I would say that this name would be Ethel. I so beautiful either. Okay, so not terrible. Okay, But at the same time, you can imagine I start adding carbons to this, and it's going to start to get kind of impossible to name with the common name.
4
example
Provide the correct IUPAC name of the following ether.
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1m
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And that's why we have AIPAC. Because AIPAC is gonna be I could apply to any. Either it could be 100 carbons long, and I would be able to systematically name it, Okay. Except you don't know the prefix for 100 carbons, but don't worry. Won't get that high. So in this case, my route is gonna be What? What do you think it would be the three carbon chain over here? Okay, because I'm just looking for the longest continuous chain. So I would say that this is gonna be I'm just gonna list out the components like I usually do. The route is going to be propane. Okay, then what are my substitute? It's going to be It actually turns out that I have to substitue. It's now I have a metal group here and I have an orthodoxy here. Okay, so now I just have to figure out what the numbering would be. And the Eighth Oxy Group is going to get priority over the alcohol group. So I'm gonna make this my number one carbon. If, for example, if I had had the method, if I had had an Alka group on the other side, Whatever. I would have still picked the O R group. Okay, so now we're gonna go ahead and and put this together. So we just have to put in alphabetical order. And that's gonna be one with oxy to metal. Propane. Okay, So as you can see, the name is a little bit longer. Obviously has numbers and stuff. But as as I was saying before, as my ethers get bigger and bigger, it's going to be smarter to use AIPAC because it's just It's just a simple rule that you can apply for everything. Okay. Awesome. So I hope that wasn't so bad. Right? Let's go ahead and move on to the next topic.