FannyMc (asker) Aug 19, 2011:

Thank you so much for all your help. I have contacted the author to request clarification as this all goes slightly over my h(e)ad.
Thanks a lot!

Ron Hartong PhD (X) Aug 19, 2011:

Sorry Felipe,

I hadn't seen the last sentence of your entry. They are talking about 'Hantzsch–Widman' nomenclature here (never heard those names before), and apparently the final 'e' has a definite meaning. My guess is that dropping the first 'e' is just sloppiness, although I can't say I know all the IUPAC rules by heart (who does?).

Ron Hartong PhD (X) Aug 19, 2011:

-epin(e) You are right Felipe - it seems we agree on the first 'e'.

You were also quite right to put the last 'e' between parentheses, because this apparently indicates whether the ring contains N or not. Since we don't know the structural formula and since the Spanish text says 'benzoheteroepínico' (and not benzoheteroepinéico) it is probably more correct to translate it as

benzoheteroepin

Again, I would add a translator's note suggesting the three other alternatives.

Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães Aug 19, 2011:

Actually, Ron, you were right the first time: heteroepine is indeed the correct spelling. Table 1, page 32 of your reference spells it out (pun fully intended) quite clearly:

Ring size: 7
Maximum unsaturation: -epin(e)

Not sure why the authors themselves would contradict this later on... perhaps both are acceptable? Perhaps it's one of those obscure IUPAC rules about dropping letters before certain vowels or consonants, etc...

Ron Hartong PhD (X) Aug 19, 2011:

heteropines and heteroepines I can't decide whether heteropines and heteroepines are the same thing or not.

I came across a reference (p232 of the link below) where heteropines are described as structures containing either N, S, or O (which fits perfectly with fvasconcellos' description), but I did not find any descriptions of heteroepines.

Since in the Spanish version the 'e' is included, I would translate it as 'benzoheteroepine' and add a translator's note saying something like 'or did you mean benzoheteropine?'

http://www.elsevier.com/authored_subject_sections/P04/IYC_ch...

philgoddard Aug 18, 2011:

It looks like benzoheteroepinic, but all the Google hits for this word seem to be translations, and they mostly relate to one Spanish research paper, which makes me suspicious.