Page 3 - Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 2005)

Preface

Chemical n omenclature must evolve to reflect the needs of the community that makes use
of it. In particular, nomenclature must be created t o d escribe new compounds or classes of
compounds; modified to resolve ambiguities which might arise; or clarified where there is
confusion over the way in which nomenclature should be used. There is also a n eed to make
nomenclature as systematic and uncomplicated as possible in order to assist less familiar
users (for example, because they are only in the process of studying chemistry or are non-
chemists who need to deal with chemicals a t w ork or at home). A r evision of Nomenclature
of Inorganic Chemistry, IUPAC Recommendations 1990 (Red Book I ) w as therefore
initiated in 1998, under the guidance of the IUPAC Commission on Nomenclature of
Inorganic C hemistry (CNIC) and then, o n t he abolition of CNIC in 2001 as part of the
general restructuring o f I UPAC, by a p roject group working u nder the auspices of the
Division of Chemical N omenclature and Structure Representation (Division VIII).
The need to ensure t hat inorganic and organic nomenclature systems are, as far as
possible, consistent has resulted in extensive cooperation between t he editors o f t he revised
Red Book and the editors o f Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry, IUPAC Recommendations
(the revised ‘Blue Book’, in preparation). At present, t he concept of preferred IUPAC
names (PINs), an important element in the revision of the Blue Book, has not been extended
to inorganic n omenclature (though preferred names are used herein for organic, i.e. carbon-
containing, compounds when appropriate). A p lanned future project on inorganic PINs w ill
need to face the problem of choice between t he equally valid nomenclature systems
currently in use.
The present book supersedes not only Red Book I b ut also, where appropriate,
Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry II, IUPAC Recommendations 2000 (Red Book I I).
One of the main changes from Red B ook I is the different organization of material, adopted
to improve c larity. Thus, Chapters IR-5 (Compositional Nomenclature, and Overview of
Names of Ions and Radicals), IR-6 (Parent Hydride N ames and Substitutive Nomenclature),
and IR-7 (Additive Nomenclature) deal with the general characteristics o f t he three main
nomenclature systems a pplied to inorganic compounds. (Note that the notation ‘IR-’ i s u sed
to distinguish chapters a nd sections in the current book from those in Red B ook I, prefixed
‘I-’). The next three chapters d eal with their application, p articularly that of additive
nomenclature, to three large classes of compounds: inorganic acids and derivatives (Chapter
IR-8), coordination compounds (Chapter IR-9) and organometallic compounds (Chapter
IR-10). Overall, the emphasis o n a dditive nomenclature (generalized from the classical
nomenclature of coordination compounds) which was already apparent in Red Book I i s
reinforced here. Examples are even included o f o rganic compounds, from the borderline
between i norganic and organic chemistry, which may be conveniently named using a dditive
nomenclature (although their PINs will be different).
One important addition in this book is Chapter IR-10 on Organometallic Compounds.
The separation of this material from that on Coordination Compounds (Chapter IR-9)
reflects the huge growth in importance o f o rganometallic chemistry and the very different

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