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Chemical nomenclature, replete as it is with compounds with very complex names, is a repository for some names that may be considered unusual. A browse through the Physical Constants of Organic Compounds in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (a fundamental resource) will reveal not just the whimsical work of chemists, but the sometimes peculiar compound names that occur as the consequence of simple juxtaposition. Some names derive legitimately from their chemical makeup, from the geographic region where they may be found, the plant or animal species from which they are isolated or the name of the discoverer.
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Some are given intentionally unusual trivial names based on their structure, a notable property or at the whim of those who first isolate them. However, many trivial names predate formal naming conventions. Trivial names can also be ambiguous or carry different meanings in different industries, geographic regions and languages.
Godly noted that "Trivial names having the status of INN or ISO are carefully tailor-made for their field of use and are internationally accepted".[1] In his preface to Chemical Nomenclature, Thurlow wrote that "Chemical names do not have to be deadly serious".[2] A website in existence since 1997[3] and maintained at the University of Bristol lists a selection of "molecules with silly or unusual names" strictly for entertainment. These so-called silly or funny trivial names (depending on culture) can also serve an educational purpose. In an article in the Journal of Chemical Education, Dennis Ryan argues that students of organic nomenclature (considered a "dry and boring" subject) may actually take an interest in it when tasked with the job of converting funny-sounding chemical trivial names to their proper systematic names.[4]
The collection listed below presents a sample of trivial names and gives an idea how chemists are inspired when they coin a brand new name for a chemical compound outside of systematic naming. It also includes some examples of systematic names and acronyms that accidentally resemble English words.
Glenn Seaborg told his students that he proposed the chemical symbol Pu (from P U) instead of the conventional "Pl" for plutonium as a joke, only to find it officially adopted.[5] Unununium (Uuu) was the former temporary name of the chemical element number 111, a synthetic transuranium element. This element was named roentgenium (Rg) in November 2004.
Barrelene | ![]() |
Basketane | ![]() |
Bowtiediene | ![]() |
Churchane | ![]() |
Cubane | ![]() |
Dodecahedrane | ![]() |
Fenestrane (Windowpane) | ![]() |
Housane | ![]() |
Ladderane | ![]() |
Nanokid | ![]() There are no chemical or practical uses for the NanoKid molecule or any of its known derivatives. However, James Tour has turned the NanoKid into a lifelike character to educate children in the sciences. It was found that 82% of students found that NanoKids made learning science more interesting and led to a 10–59% increase in understanding of the material presented.[10] |
Olympiadane | ![]() |
Olympicene | ![]() |
Paddlanes | ![]() |
Penguinone | ![]() |
Pterodactylane | ![]() |
Prismane | ![]() |
Propellanes | ![]() |
Quadratic acid | ![]() |
Sulflower | ![]() |
Volleyballene | ![]() |
Buckminsterfullerene (Fullerene) | ![]() |
Bullvalene | ![]() |
Dickite | (Al2Si2O5(OH)4), a clay-like material with a number of manufacturing uses, one of which is as a coating for high-quality bond paper. It is named after its discoverer, Allan Brugh Dick.[17] |
Josiphos ligands | A well-known catalyst, named after Josi Puleo, the technician who first prepared it.[18] Mandyphos and Taniaphos also exist. |
Welshite |
A mineral named after the US amateur mineralogist Wilfred R. Welsh. Its formula is Ca2SbMg4FeBe2Si4O20. |
Alcindoromycine | An anthracycline antibiotic agent named after the character Alcindoro in La Bohème.[19] |
Bohemamine | An anti-tumour agent named after the Puccini opera La Bohème.[19] |
Collinemycin | An anthracycline antibiotic agent named after the character Colline in La Bohème.[19] |
Ranasmurfin | A blue protein from the foam nests of a tropical frog, named after the Smurfs. |
Mimimycin | An anthracycline antibiotic agent named after the character Mimì in La Bohème.[19] |
Musettamycin | An anthracycline antibiotic agent named after the character Musetta in La Bohème.[19] |
Marcellomycin | An anthracycline antibiotic agent named after the character Marcello in La Bohème.[19] |
Pikachurin | A retinal protein named after Pokémon character / species Pikachu |
Rudolphomycin | An anthracycline antibiotic agent named after the character Rodolfo (Rudolph) in La Bohème.[19][20] |
Sonic hedgehog | A protein named after Sonic the Hedgehog |
Arsole | ![]() |
Cumene | (C9H12), an aromatic hydrocarbon used in the production of phenol and acetone. |
Cummingtonite | ((Mg,Fe2+)2(Mg,Fe2+)5Si8O22(OH)2), a magnesium-iron silicate hydroxide, first identified in Cummington, Massachusetts.[3] |
FAP | Tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate, an anion used in some ionic liquids.[23] |
Fornacite | A rare lead, copper chromate arsenate hydroxide mineral (Pb2CuCrO4AsO4OH), named after its discoverer, Lucien Lewis Forneau.[3] |
Fucitol | ![]() |
FucK | The name of the gene that encodes L-fuculokinase, an enzyme that catalyzes a chemical reaction between L-fuculose, ADP, and L-fuculose-1-phosphate.[3] |
Fukalite | (Ca4Si2O6(CO3)(OH, F))2, a rare form of calcium silicocarbonate discovered in the Fuka Mine of Takahashi, Japan.[3] |
Orotic acid | ![]() |
Pizda | ![]() |
Rhamnetin | ![]() |
SEX | ![]() |
Spermine, Spermidine | ![]() ![]() |
BARF | ![]() |
catP | The name of the enzyme responsible for chloramphenicol resistance in various species of bacteria. |
Constipatic acid | ![]() |
Crapinon | An anticholinergic drug, one side effect of which is constipation.[3] |
Diurea | ![]() |
dUMP | ![]() |
Earthcide, or Fartox | Some of the many names for pentachloronitrobenzene, a fungicide.[28] |
Nonanal | ![]() |
PoO | Chemical formula of polonium monoxide. |
Uranate | The chemical term for an oxyanion of the element uranium.[3] |
Vomitoxin | ![]() |
Cadaverine | ![]() |
DEAD, DEADCAT | ![]() |
Earthcide, or Fartox | Some of the many names for pentachloronitrobenzene, a fungicide.[31] |
Putrescine | ![]() |
Angelic acid | ![]() |
DAMN | ![]() |
Diabolic acid | A series of long-chain dicarboxylic acids with chains of different lengths. Named after the Greek word diabollo meaning to mislead.[32] |
Draculin | An anticoagulant found in the saliva of vampire bats.[33] |
Vitamin C (Godnose) | Albert Szent-Gyorgyi coined the term "ignose" to describe ascorbic acid, which he isolated and published. When the journal's editor refused to accept ignose as a plausible name, Szent-Gyorgyi suggested 'Godnose' (a joke meaning that only God could know the real identity of the molecule). The editor suggested that the name be changed to something more formal.[34] |
Luciferase | A generic term for the class of oxidative enzymes that produce bioluminescence. |
Lucifer yellow | Lucifer Yellow is a food coloring that is commonly found in hot sauces such as salsa pickle. Because it fluoresces under ultraviolet light and stains certain regions between plant cells, it's also used in plant microscopy anatomy studies. |
Miraculin | A glycoprotein found in miracle fruit that makes sour foods taste sweet after contact with taste buds.[35] |
Adamantane | ![]() |
Irene | Hantzsch-Widman nomenclature for a monocyclic, heterocyclic compound with three ring atoms.[38] |
Naftazone | (C11H9N3O2), a vasoprotective drug. The NAFTA free-trade zone is the area covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement.[39] |
PEPPSI | Pyridine-Enhanced Precatalyst Preparation Stabilization and Initiation.[40] |
Antipain | Antipain works as a protease inhibitor, preventing proteins from being degraded. It is a highly toxic compound that, ironically, causes severe itching or pain when it comes into contact with the skin. Because it inhibits the action of papain, an enzyme found in papayas, its name is actually an abbreviation of anti-papain. |
Bongkrek acid | ![]() |
Constipatic Acid | Some Australian lichens, like Parmelia constipata, have this as a component. Protoconstipatic acid, dehydroconstipatic acid, and methyl constipatate are all constipatic acid derivatives. |
DiNOsar | Common shortening of di-nitro sarcophagine. Used due to shorter length compared to the IUPAC name of 1,8-dinitro-3,6,10,13,16,19-hexaazabicyclo[6.6.6]icosane. Sounds similar to the word dinosaur |
Gardenin | Gardenins, which are flavones extracted from the Indian plant Gardenia lucida, come in a variety of forms. |
Hirsutene | ![]() |
Magic acid | A superacid consisting of a mixture, most commonly in a 1:1 molar ratio, of fluorosulfuric acid (HSO3F) and antimony pentafluoride (SbF5). |
Megaphone | A ketone derived from the root of Aniba megaphylla.[43] |
Melon | A compound consisting mostly of linked heptazine units with an undetermined composition.![]() |
Mispickel | An older name for the mineral arsenopyrite, an iron arsenic sulfide and major source of the element arsenic, sounds like 'miss pickle'. From German.[44] |
Moronic acid | ![]() |
Performic acid | A strongly oxidizing acid related to formic acid. |
Noggin | A signalling protein involved in embryonic development. |
Nonose | A monosaccharide with nine carbons. An example is sialic acid. |
Periodic acid | ![]() |
Picket Fence Porphyrin | (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(alpha,alpha,alpha-2-pivalamidophenyl)porphyrin), used to model heme enzyme active sites. |
Piranha solution | A strongly oxidizing mixture of hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid used to remove organic residues from substrates and glassware. The name refers to the voracious appetite of the Amazonian piranha fish. |
Rednose | A sugar derived from the degradation of rudolphomycin.[19] |
Rhamnose | ![]() |
Ru(Tris)BiPy-on-a-stick | Shorthand form of (trans-1,4-bis[(4-pyridyl)ethenyl]benzene)(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II).[45] |
Traumatic acid | ![]() |
Bastardane | A close relative to tetramantane (a higher homologue of adamantane), its proper name is nonacyclo[11.7.1.112,18.03,16.04,13.05,10.06,14.07,11.015,20]docosane. Because its unusual ethano-bridge was a deviation from the standard hydrocarbon caged rearrangements, it came to be known as bastardane—the unwanted child.[3][46] |
Dinocap | ![]() |
DuPhos | ![]() |
FOOF | ![]() |
Furfuryl furfurate | The name of the molecule is difficult to say fast. It has a strong odor and can be used as a polymerization inhibitor in the vapor phase. Its name is derived from the Latin word "furfur," which means "bran" (the source of the compound). Furfural alcohol, a related molecule, is reportedly used in the fabrication of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) sections used in the space shuttle. |
Gossypol | ![]() |
Methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylarginyl...isoleucine | The IUPAC name for Titin. This is the largest known protein and so has the longest chemical name. Written in full, it contains 189,819 letters.[48] |
Periplanone B | ![]() |
Thebacon | ![]() |
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