Systematic Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry

Hellwinkel gives a short and general introduction to the systematic nomenclature of organic compounds. On the basis of carefully selected examples it offers simple and concise guidelines for the generation of systematic compound names as codified by the IUPAC rules. Besides the most common compound classes important special areas such as cyclophanes, carbohydrates, organometallic and isotopically modified compounds and stereochemical specifications are dealt with. In cases where there is not yet a finalised set of IUPAC rules, possibilities for logical and desirable extensions of existing rules are outlined. Likewise, deviations from Chemical Abstracts and Beilstein index names are noted, if significant. The German version (4th edition) is meanwhile a longseller.

From the reviews:

"A good text on this subject should be clear (ambiguity is not desirable) concise and authoritative. Hellwinkel’s book, Systematic nomenclature of organic chemistry, is all of these. (…) Had I bought this text as an undergraduate it would now be sitting on my desk looking dog-eared and thoroughly worn-out. This will be the sort of book which will constantly be useful."
Ian Farrell
Journal: Chemistry World, The Royal Society of Chemistry, Vol. 1, Issue 4, Page 61

"Chemical nomenclature is rather like visiting the dentist: nobody enjoys it … . A good text on this subject should be clear (ambiguity is not desirable) concise and authoritative. Hellwinkel’s book, Systematic nomenclature of organic chemistry, is all of these. … Had I bought this text as an undergraduate it would now be sitting on my desk looking dog-eared and thoroughly worn-out. This will be the sort of book which will constantly be useful." (Ian Farrell, Chemistry World, Vol. 1 (4), April, 2004)

"Hellwinkel has produced a brief but comprehensive introduction to the systematic nomenclature of organic compounds. … Using the current recommendations of The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Hellwinkel offers simple and concise guidelines for producing systematic names … . The book contains a comprehensive list of current references and will be suitable for undergraduate or graduate students of organic chemistry. Anyone who needs to create or interpret the names found in the … literature would find this book to be useful." (Patton M. Giles, Jr., Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 123 (46), 2004)

"This book … is reasonably tightly focused on those aspects of organic nomenclature most likely to be encountered for ‘typical’ molecules and, because it is soft-cover, has a very attractive price … . Recommended systematic nomenclature is covered in good detail … . The book includes 35 tablescontaining many example molecules. … The index … includes functional group suffixes, making it possible to use the book in the reverse mode of assigning molecular structure with a name already in hand." (C.J. Cramer and D.G. Truhlar, Theoretical Chemistry, Vol. 107 (2), 2002)

"Hellwinkel’s approach to organic nomenclature mirrors IUPAC nomenclature … . The demonstration of the nomenclature rules … is most instructive as it surveys and applies the general nomenclature principles behind the naming conventions. … The beginner, non-specialist and expert chemist will find the survey of the guidelines and examples provided in this book very instructive and invaluable in providing solutions to nomenclature problems." (Helmut M. Hügel, Chemistry in Australia, 2001)

"This book gives a short and general introduction to the systematic nomenclature of organic compounds. On the basis of carefully selected examples it offers simple and concise guidelines for the generation of systematic compound names codified by the IUPAC rules. … the author’s motivation for writing this book is his conviction that a basic insight into the language of chemistry is a vital part of every chemist’s basic training." (LabPlus International, Vol. 15 (3), 2001)