Parent hydride

In chemistry, a parent hydride in IUPAC nomenclature refers to a main group compound with the formula AH_n, where A is a main group element. The names of parent hydrides end with -ane, analogous with the nomenclature for alkanes. Derivatives of parent hydrides are named by appending prefixes or suffixes to the name of the parent hydride to indicate the substituents that replace the hydrogen atoms.

Parent hydrides are used in both the organic nomenclature, and inorganic nomenclature systems.

Parent hydride names for group 13-17 elements (with standard bond numbers)

13	14	15	16	17
BH3, borane	CH4, methane*	NH3, azane (ammonia)*	OH2, oxidane (water)*	FH, fluorane (hydrogen fluoride)*
AlH3, alumane (aluminum hydride)	SiH4, silane*	PH3, phosphane (phosphine)*	SH2, sulfane (hydrogen sulfide)*	ClH, chlorane (hydrogen chloride)*
GaH3, gallane	GeH4, germane*	AsH3, arsane (arsine)*	SeH2, selane (hydrogen selenide)*	BrH, bromane (hydrogen bromide)*
InH3, indigane	SnH4, stannane*	SbH3, stibane	TeH2, tellane (hydrogen telluride)*	IH, iodane (hydrogen iodide)*
TlH3, thallane	PbH4, plumbane	BiH3, bismuthane	PoH2, polane	AtH, astatane

*extensive body of chemistry

Reactions and structure

Parent hydrides are useful reference compounds, but many are nonexistent or unstable. Group III parent hydrides exist only under extraordinary conditions. Borane dimerizes irreversibly. Gallane and heavier congeners polymerize, sometimes with loss of hydrogen. Plumbane and bismuthane, stibane, indane, thallane are unstable.

See also

• Borderline hydrides
• Hydride
• Preferred IUPAC name