[curiouscat]

Is this molecule classified as an ester? Assume the COOH and CHO groups didn't exist.



I've always assumed the R and R' groups in an ester as distinct disjoint.
In this example there's no unique way of assigning R and R', correct?

[sjb]

What do you mean by distinct? Clearly the chain you get if you follow back from the acid part of the RCO₂R' group is different from the one that you get if you follow the alcohol. It could be that you may want to class this as a lactone (cyclic ester), but this is clearly still an carboxylic ester.

[curiouscat]

What do you mean by distinct? Clearly the chain you get if you follow back from the acid part of the RCO₂R' group is different from the one that you get if you follow the alcohol.

Right. I ought to have said disjoint.

. It could be that you may want to class this as a lactone (cyclic ester), but this is clearly still an carboxylic ester.

Right again. Thanks. "Cyclic ester" clarifies it entirely.

[OrganicSyn1.0]

This is a shoot off question....suppose it was not a lactone but just a straight alkyl chain with a COOH gama to the sp3 oxygen of the ester. What would the nomenclature for this be?