[kevsim]

Some chemical names start with a prefix, for example "N", I have seen some others but can not remember what they were.
What do they mean and how many are there.

kevsim

[discodermolide]

Can you hazard a guess as to what the "N" prefix might mean?
So us an example of a structure or name with this in it.

[kevsim]

discodermolide,
Thanks for looking.
Some  examplea would be -
N-methyl butylamine, N,N-dimethylformamide, L-glyceraldehyde, L-arginine, D-glyceraldehyde

kevsim

[discodermolide]

So N-methyl, N,N- dimethyl what does this suggest to you?

[Arkcon]

N-methyl butylamine, N,N-dimethylformamide, L-glyceraldehyde, L-arginine, D-glyceraldehyde

And their structures are?  Note: the reason for the "N'" is different from the reason for "L" and "R".

[kevsim]

I thank you all for the replies,
I still can not see what the prefix means.

kevsim

[discodermolide]

The "N" means the the functional group coming next it attached to the nitrogen.
So N-methylbutylamine has a methyl group attached to the N atom.

[kevsim]

discodermolide,
Thanks for the information, very helpful.
Would you know what some of the others are that I have listed.?

kevsim
 

[discodermolide]

Yes, I know what they are, try a Google approach and see what you find.

[Babcock_Hall]

@OP, Prefixes can be used in a number of situations; some provide stereochemical information, and others provide information on other types of isomerism.

[kevsim]

Babcock_Hall,
Thanks for the reply.
Besides cis/trans.
Could you please provide a few and what they mean.
kevsim

[sjb]

Babcock_Hall,
Thanks for the reply.
Besides cis/trans.
Could you please provide a few and what they mean.
kevsim

Consider (R)- and (S)- butan-2-ol. What are their structures? How do they differ?

[Babcock_Hall]

kevsim,

After you have a go at sib's question, here is one more.  D and L are often seen in reference to biomolecules and have something to do with stereochemistry.  D-glucose is the biologically important isomer, but L-glucose is not.  Likewise, L-arginine is biologically important, but D-arginine is rarely, if ever, seen in biological systems.  The meanings of the D and L prefixes are often misunderstood by students, and so it is worth getting them right.