Mononuclear parent hydrides of elements of groups 13 to 17

Subject: Names of mononuclear hydride parents and derivatives
Maintained by Axel Drefahl • www.axeleratio.com

Mononuclear hydrides of elements of groups 13 to 17 in the periodic table are named by composition, by a trivial name or by a name establishing them as parent hydrides to systematically specify their derivates via substitutive nomenclature. The following table lists the parent hydride names in alphabetical order along with the empirical formula and the standard bonding number (StBN). An alternate name, which is either a universally used named or a name derived from the compositional nomenclature, is given when it is frequently used.

Parent name Formula StBN Alternate name Notes and Links
Alumane AlH3 3 Formation of polymers (alanes) and polymorphs
Arsane AsH3 3 (antiquated: arsine)
Astatane HAt 1 Hydrogen astatide
Azane NH3 3 Ammonia ThermoML data
Bismuthane BiH3 3
Borane BH3 3 Dimerization to diborane
Bromane HBr 1 Hydrogen bromide ThermoML data
Carbane CH4 4 Methane ThermoML data
Chlorane HCl 1 Hydrogen chloride
Fluorane HF 1 Hydrogen fluoride ThermoML data
Gallane GaH3 3 Dimerization to digallane
Germane GeH4 4
Indigane InH3 3
Iodane HI 1 Hydrogen iodide ThermoML data
Oxidane H2O 2 Water ThermoML data
Phosphane PH3 3 (antiquated: phosphine)
Plumbane SiH4 4
Polane H2Po 2 Dihydrogen polannide
Selane H2Se 2 Dihydrogen selenide
Silane SiH4 4
Stannane SnH4 4
Stibane SbH3 3 (antiquated: stibine)
Sulfane H2S 2 Dihydrogen sulfide ThermoML data
Tellane H2Te 2 Dihydrogen tellenide
Thallane TlH3 3

All parent hydride names end with the suffix ane. Name derivation from the element name, however, is not always straightforward. Since indane is the name of the hydrocarbon compound 2,3-dihydroindene, InH3 is named indigane instead. The expected names aluminane, bismane, oxane, thiane, selenane, tellurane and polane specify saturated six-membered heteromonocycles in the Hantzsch-Widman system. Hence, the hydride names for AlH3, BiH3, H2O, H2S, H2Se, H2Te and H2Po differ, respectively.

Derivatives in which the number of hydrogen atoms and, therefore, the bonding number differs from StBN, are prefixed by the Greek letter λ with a superscripts for the non-standard bonding number, for example,

λ1-arsane for AsH, or
λ6-sulfane for SH6.

The names of homopolynuclear derivatives such as hydride chain molecules are build from hydride parent names by accounting for the chain length and by placing a locant in front of each λ term:

6,3λ6-tetrasulfane for H5SSSH4SH

In this example, the multiplicative prefix ‘tetra’ specifies the chain length of four sulfur atoms. The term 1λ6 indicates a bond number of 6 for the first sulfur atom. The term 3λ6 indicates a bond number of 6 for the third sulfur atom. The second and fourth sulfur atom both have bond number 2, equal to the StBN of the mononuclear parent. Therefore, no assignment is required for these two sulfur atoms.

Bibliography

[1] International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry:
Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry. RSC Publishing, Cambridge, UK , 2005; Chapter IR-6, Table IR-6.1.


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