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“Ravana” IUPAC Nomenclature

Question: Assuming the existence of the compound shown, given the trivial name “Ravana,” what would its IUPAC name be?

"Ravana" Molecule

Answer:

The intended IUPAC name is:

5-(2,3,4,5-tetramethylcyclopentyl)decane

  • Decane: The parent chain contains 10 carbon atoms.
  • 5-: The cyclopentyl substituent is attached to carbon 5 of the parent chain, numbered from the left in the given diagram.
  • Cyclopentyl: The substituent is a five-membered carbon ring.
  • 2,3,4,5-tetramethyl: The four methyl groups are attached to ring carbons 2, 3, 4, and 5, numbering the ring from its attachment carbon (carbon 1).

Thus, the name describes a decane chain bearing a tetramethyl-substituted cyclopentyl group at carbon 5.