Overview

The ability to unambiguously name molecules is of great importance in chemistry, which has led to the development of systematic rules and naming conventions. Having an awareness of the general naming principles is a key skill for all chemists, so that scientists are able to converse using a common language.

IUPAC

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) hold responsibility for the development of systematic approaches to the naming of compounds in chemistry. The guidelines are published as books, referred to as the colour books along with brief guides.

Links to PDF copies of the individual colour books can be found at the links below.

Key principles for nomenclature

General

Being able to name simple compounds by hand is an important skill for chemists, and should be practised to ensure fluency with the principles of nomenclature. There are software tools to assist with naming, for example ChemDraw includes a structure to name tool which is able to systematically apply the IUPAC naming conventions. However, as with any automated tool, these should be used with care, checking that that the name produced is suitable.

Inorganic nomenclature

Professor Duncan Bruce has provided guides to Inorganic Nomenclature for undergraduate students. The first guide is aimed at Year 1 Students, with the second guide aimed at Year 2 Students, building on the principles from the first guide.