Write and name the alkyl radicals with fewer than five carbons.

Solution

Alkyl radicals are obtained by removing a hydrogen from the alkane. Thus, by removing a hydrogen from methane, the methyl radical is obtained. The radicals are named by changing the ending -ane to -yl.

[1] Methyl

[2] Ethyl

[3] Propyl

[4] Butyl

[5] Pentyl

Branched radicals can also be constructed, some of which have common names widely used in nomenclature.

[6] Isopropyl

[7] Isobutyl

[8] sec-Butyl

[9] terc-Butyl

The sec-butyl and tert-butyl radicals order alphabetically by "b", while isopropyl and isobutyl order by "i".