# Caffeine's real name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444 "2008-01-05T22:41:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/1 "2008-01-05T22:41:16Z")
Curious about a “lose weight quick” fad product sold at the corner store, I was reading the ingredients. It was a cocktail of herbal extracts and such including caffeine. But, the caffeine was listed by some chemical name with caffeine in parentheses. Huh, I thought caffeine WAS the chemical name! You know, like acetone IS acetone! I’d have to go back and write down the lengthy name for caffeine, but in the meantime, can any SDopers explain the story here? Isn’t caffeine JUST caffeine? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/2 "2008-01-05T22:50:11Z")
Caffeine is the common name, while 1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6(3H,7H)-dione is the proper chemical name, just like “dog” is the common name of a popular pet, while the proper taxonomic name is _Canis familiaris_. They are just different names for the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/3 "2008-01-05T22:51:09Z")
The official chemical term for caffeine is 1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6(3H,7H)-dione. But that’s a mouthfull even for chemists. Other possible names are 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, trimethylxanthine, theine, and methyltheobromine. But even in a chemistry lab, anybody that calls it something other than caffeine is showing off. That is until you start derivitizing it. This information is brought to you by [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine). I could never figure out chemical nomenclature. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/4 "2008-01-05T22:53:12Z")
Yet, acetone is…? ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/5 "2008-01-05T22:54:36Z")
2-propanone. Ha! I knew that one. ETA: Damn! QED is right, the 2 is superflous ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/6 "2008-01-05T22:54:52Z")
Propanone. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/7 "2008-01-05T22:57:17Z")
> **[Acetone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone)** > > Acetone (2-propanone or dimethyl ketone) is an organic compound with the formula .mw-parser-output .template-chem2-su{display:inline-block;font-size:80%;line-height:1;vertical-align:-0.35em}.mw-parser-output .template-chem2-su\>span{display:block;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output sub.template-chem2-sub{font-size:80%;vertical-align:-0.35em}.mw-parser-output sup.template-chem2-sup{font-size:80%;vertical-align:0.65em}(CH3)2CO. It is the simplest and smallest ketone (\>C=O). It is a colorless, hig Ace... propanone, dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, propan-2-one, β-ketopropane, CH[sub]3[/sub]COCH[sub]3[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/8 "2008-01-05T22:57:45Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] Yet, acetone is…? [/QUOTE] Tasty! ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/9 "2008-01-06T01:28:49Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] Yet, acetone is…? [/QUOTE] A good dissolver of those cheap Bic mechanical pencils! ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/10 "2008-01-06T03:05:07Z")
Acetone does that? I know for sure dichloromethane does. Don’t ever try to clean your CD’s with dichloromethane either. Don’t ask me how I know that. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/11 "2008-01-06T05:37:57Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] Acetone does that? I know for sure dichloromethane does. Don’t ever try to clean your CD’s with dichloromethane either. Don’t ask me how I know that. [/QUOTE] It might completely dissolve it after an extended period, but I know that it certainly flattened and matted the finish when I accidentally set my pencil down in a puddle of it in Organic lab. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/12 "2008-01-06T05:43:17Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] Acetone does that? I know for sure dichloromethane does. Don’t ever try to clean your CD’s with dichloromethane either. Don’t ask me how I know that. [/QUOTE] Acetone completely wrecks a lot of compounds - two from my own experience: – cheapo lab goggles. Acetone crazes the typically polycarbonate goggles with a quickness. –Compact discs – again, I believe they have a polycarbonate layer above the data layer. Acetone destroys this, rendering the CD unusable. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2008, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/13 "2008-01-06T05:47:38Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Caffeine is the common name, while 1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6(3H,7H)-dione is the proper chemical name, just like “dog” is the common name of a popular pet, while the proper taxonomic name is _Canis familiaris_. They are just different names for the same thing. [/QUOTE] Nitpick: FWIW, the consensus is more and more in favor of the more accurate _[Canis lupus familiaris](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog)_. (ETA: Actually, since the last time I was paying attention, the nomenclature change has become official, not just consensus.) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/14 "2008-01-07T01:06:26Z")
Acetone will dissolve a styrofoam cup quite rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/15 "2008-01-07T01:10:19Z")
Dogs will destroy a styrofoam cup even quicker. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/16 "2008-01-07T03:29:07Z")
I have plenty of experience with acetone, but I don’t ever remember it dissolving something accidently. Dichloromethane on the other hand tore anything up that it touched. I didn’t do around throwing acetone on everything though. That’s what my wife did. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/17 "2008-01-07T04:26:13Z")
[QUOTE=GameHat] Acetone completely wrecks a lot of compounds - two from my own experience: – cheapo lab goggles. Acetone crazes the typically polycarbonate goggles with a quickness. –Compact discs – again, I believe they have a polycarbonate layer above the data layer. Acetone destroys this, rendering the CD unusable. [/QUOTE] Acetone is the primary ingredient in nail polish remover and is good at dissolving finishes on a whole range of things. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/18 "2008-01-07T05:31:39Z")
I think nail polish remover is usually ethyl acetate and that’s a pretty “meh” solvent as far as I know. Anyway, it sure smells like Ethyl Acetate. I used it for columns in the early part of my career, but later it was utterly useless for what I did. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/19 "2008-01-07T07:41:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Dogs will destroy a styrofoam cup even quicker. What if the styrofoam cup is prepared? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444/20 "2008-01-07T09:26:49Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] What if the styrofoam cup is prepared? [/QUOTE] With barbecue sauce? The dog will be extruding small white pellets for a good while. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeines-real-name/432444.md?page=2)