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Provisional Recommendations

Chemical Nomenclature and Structure Representation Division

 

Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry

Since the publication of IUPAC's Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry - Recommendations 1990 (the 'Red Book') inorganic chemistry has continued to expand and flourish, bringing with it the need to adapt and develop associated nomenclature. A revision
of the Red Book was therefore initiated in 1998. This revised Red Book will supersede not only the 1990 Red Book but also, where appropriate, Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry II -Recommendations 2000 (Red Book II). One of the main changes from the old Red Book is the different organization of
material, adopted to improve clarity. Overall, the emphasis on additive nomenclature (generalized from the classical nomenclature of coordination compounds) which was already apparent in the 1990 Red Book, is reinforced. Examples are even included of organic compounds, from the borderline between inorganic and organic chemistry, which may be conveniently named using additive nomenclature.

The reader facing the problem of how to name a given compound or species may find help in several ways. A flowchart is provided (see content below, Section IR-I.4) which will in most cases guide the user to a section or chapter where rules can be found for generating at least one possible name. A more detailed subject index is also provided, as well as an extended guide to possible alternative names of a wide range of simple inorganic compounds.

> Download full text of the Provisional Recommendations from the CONTENTS below (Note the notation 'IR-'to distinguish sections in the current book from those in the previous version, prefixed
'I-')

Comments by 31 August 2004
To Prof. Neil G. Connelly
University of Bristol, School of Chemistry
Cantock's Close
Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK

Tel: +[44] 117 928 8162
Fax: +[44] 117 929 0509
E-mail: [email protected]

 

CONTENTS

Frontispiece: IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements [pdf - 24KB]
Preface [pdf - 50KB]

IR-1 GENERAL AIMS, FUNCTIONS AND METHODS OF CHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE [pdf - 185KB]

IR-1.1 Introduction
IR-1.2 History of chemical nomenclature
IR-1.3 Aims of chemical nomenclature
IR-1.4 Functions of chemical nomenclature
IR-1.5 Methods of inorganic nomenclature
IR-1.6 Nomenclature recommendations in other areas of chemistry
IR-1.7 References

IR-2 GRAMMAR [pdf - 283KB]

IR-2.1 Introduction
IR-2.2 Enclosing marks
IR-2.3 Hyphens, plus and minus signs, 'em' dashes and bond indicators
IR-2.4 Solidus
IR-2.5 Dots, colons, commas and semicolons
IR-2.6 Spaces
IR-2.7 Elisions
IR-2.8 Numerals
IR-2.9 Italic letters
IR-2.10 Greek alphabet
IR-2.11 Asterisks
IR-2.12 Primes
IR-2.13 Multiplicative prefixes
IR-2.14 Locant designators
IR-2.15 Priorities
IR-2.16 Affixes (prefixes, suffixes and infixes)
IR-2.17 Final remarks
IR-2.18 References

IR-3 ELEMENTS AND GROUPS OF ELEMENTS [pdf - 143KB]

IR-3.1 Names and symbols of atoms
IR-3.2 Indication of mass, charge and atomic number using indexes (subscripts and superscripts)
IR-3.3 Isotopes
IR-3.4 Elements (or elementary substances)
IR-3.5 Allotropic modifications
IR-3.6 Groups of elements
IR-3.7 References

IR-4 FORMULAE [pdf - 131KB]

IR-4.1 Introduction
IR-4.2 Definitions of types of formula
IR-4.3 Indication of ionic charge
IR-4.4 Sequence of citation of symbols in formulae
IR-4.5 Isotopically modified compounds
IR-4.6 Optional modifiers of formulae
IR-4.7 References

IR-5 COMPOSITIONAL NOMENCLATURE AND OVERVIEW OF NAMES OF IONS AND RADICALS [pdf - 112KB]

IR-5.1 Introduction
IR-5.2 Stoichiometric names of elements and binary compounds
IR-5.3 Names of ions
IR-5.4 Generalised stoichiometric names
IR-5.5 Names of addition compounds
IR-5.6 Final remarks
IR-5.7 References

IR-6 PARENT HYDRIDE NAMES AND SUBSTITUTIVE NOMENCLATURE [pdf - 291KB]

IR-6.1 Introduction (table IR-6.1 [pdf - 28KB])
IR-6.2 Parent hydrides and unsaturated hydrides
IR-6.3 Substitutive names of derivatives of parent hydrides
IR-6.4 Names of ions and radicals derived from parent hydrides
IR-6.5 References

IR-7 ADDITIVE NOMENCLATURE [pdf - 141KB]

IR-7.1 Introduction
IR-7.2 Mononuclear compounds
IR-7.3 Polynuclear compounds
IR-7.4 Inorganic chains and rings
IR-7.5 References

IR-8 INORGANIC ACIDS AND DERIVATIVES [pdf - 89KB]

IR-8.1 Introduction (table IR-8.1 [pdf - 72KB])
IR-8.2 General principles for systematic naming of acids (table IR-8.2 [pdf - 42KB])
IR-8.3 Additive names
IR-8.4 Hydrogen names
IR-8.5 Abbreviated hydrogen names for certain anions
IR-8.6 Functional replacement names for derivatives of oxoacids
IR-8.7 References

IR-9 COORDINATION COMPOUNDS [pdf - 571KB]

IR-9.1 Introduction
IR-9.2 Describing the constitution of coordination compounds
IR-9.3 Describing the configuration of coordination compounds
IR-9.4 Final remarks
IR-9.5 References

IR-10 ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS [pdf - 429KB]

IR-10.1 Introduction
IR-10.2 Nomenclature of organometallic compounds of the transition metals
IR-10.3 Nomenclature of organometallic compounds of the main group elements
IR-10.4 References

IR-11 SOLIDS [pdf - 190KB]

IR-11.1 Introduction
IR-11.2 Names of solid phases
IR-11.3 Chemical composition
IR-11.4 Point defect (Kröger-Vink) notation
IR-11.5 Phase nomenclature
IR-11.6 Non-stoichiometric phases
IR-11.7 Polymorphism
IR-11.8 Amorphous systems and glasses
IR-11.9 Final remarks
IR-11.10 References

TABLES

Table I Names, symbols and atomic numbers of the elements [pdf - 36KB]
Table II Temporary names for elements of atomic number greater than 110 [pdf - 27KB]
Table III Suffixes and endings [pdf - 41KB]
Table IV Numerical prefixes [pdf - 19KB]
Table V Geometrical and structural prefixes [pdf - 32KB]
Table VI Element priority sequence [pdf - 32KB]
Table VII Ligand abbreviations [pdf - 79KB]
Table VIII Structural formulae of selected ligands [pdf - 238KB]
Table IX Names of homoatomic, binary and certain other simple molecules, ions and compounds, and substituent groups [pdf - 338KB]
Table X Anion names, 'a' terms used in substitutive nomenclature, and 'y' terms used in chains and rings nomenclature [pdf - 37KB]

INDEX

 

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