Alkanes: Definition, Nomenclature, Properties, and Uses

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Alkanes: Definition, Nomenclature, Properties, and Uses – Is it an alkane? Alkanes are the simplest organic molecules consisting of only carbon and hydrogen. On this occasion, we will discuss everything about alkanes and some other elements about them. Let's look at the article below to understand it better.

Alkanes: Definition, Nomenclature, Properties, and Uses


Alkanes are hydrocarbon compounds that have single carbon chain bonds. What are Hydrocarbon Compounds? are compounds that contain the elements hydrogen and carbon. In addition to forming carbon chains, carbon atoms can also form single, double, and triple covalent bonds. So that the hydrocarbon compounds can be divided into 2, namely saturated hydrocarbon compounds and unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds.

Saturated hydrocarbon compounds are hydrocarbon compounds that have saturated (single) carbon chain bonds, for example alkane compounds. Meanwhile, unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds are hydrocarbon compounds that have 2 or 3 double covalent bonds in the carbon chain, for example, such as alkenes and alkynes.

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The general formula for alkanes is CnH2n+2. From methane to ethane has a difference –CH2–, and so on. A series of carbon compounds with the same functional group with the same difference, namely –CH2– is called a homologous series. Alkanes or paraffins are acyclic saturated hydrocarbon chemical compounds. Alkanes also include aliphatic compounds or in other words, alkanes are long carbon chains with single bonds.

Alkanes are the simplest organic molecules, consisting only of carbon and hydrogen and with only single bonds between carbon atoms. Alkanes are used as the basis for naming the majority of organic compounds (their nomenclature). Alkanes have the general formula C n H 2n + 2.

Alkanes are acyclic saturated hydrocarbon chemical compounds. Alkanes are aliphatic compounds. In other words, alkanes are long carbon chains with single bonds. The general formula for alkanes is CnH2n+2. The simplest alkane is methane with the formula CH4. There is no limit to how many carbons can be bonded together. Several types of oils and waxes are examples of alkanes with a large number of carbon atoms, more than 10 carbon atoms.

Each carbon atom has 4 bonds (either C-H bonds or C-C bonds), and each hydrogen atom must be bonded to a carbon atom (H-C bonds). A collection of linked carbon atoms is also known as a skeletal formula. In general, the number of carbon atoms is used to measure the size of the alkane (for example: C2-alkane).

An alkyl group, usually abbreviated with the symbol R, is a functional group, which, like alkanes, consists of a single carbon bond and a hydrogen atom, an example is a methyl or ethyl group. Alkanes are not very reactive and have little biological activity.

Nomenclature of Alkane Compounds According to IUPAC

The naming of alkanes follows the IUPAC system, which is a nomenclature system based on the idea that the structure of a compound organic can be used to derive the name and vice versa, that a unique structure can be drawn for each Name. The basis of the IUPAC system are straight chain alkanes.

Straight chain alkanes (unbranched)

Straight chain alkanes are named according to the number of carbon atoms listed in the table above. Sometimes normal (n) is added in front of the alkane name.

Example:

CH3-CH2-CH2-CH3 n-butane
CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3 n-pentane

Cyclic alkanes (closed chain)

Cyclic (closed) chain alkanes are named according to the number of carbon atoms in the ring, with the addition of the cyclo- prefix.

Branched alkanes (have side chains)

Alkane compounds sometimes bond with other elements on one or some of the carbon atoms. Other elements in the alkane chain are usually called substituents. The most common type of alkane substituent is the alkyl group. An alkyl group is an alkane which is missing an H atom. They are named the same as alkanes, only the ending is changed to -yl. The general formula is CnH2n+2.

If the alkane has a branched chain, the naming follows the following rules.

  • The longest chain is the main chain.
  • The main chain is numbered starting from the end of the chain that has the substituents.
  • The order of writing the name: branch number, branch name, main chain alkane name.
  • If there is a methyl group on atom C number 2, the name of the alkane is prefixed with iso.
  • If an alkane has more than one common branch, the names of the branches are combined into one and prefixed di- (there are two branches), tri- (three branches), tetra- (four branches).
  • If the alkanes have different branches, the names are written in alphabetical order.
Alkanes: Definition, Nomenclature, Properties, and Uses

Properties of Alkanes

The properties of alkane compounds are:

a. At room temperature C1-C4 is gaseous, C5-C17 is liquid and above 17 is solid

b. As the number of C atoms increases, Mr also increases, resulting in higher boiling and melting points. Straight chain alkanes have a higher boiling point than branched chain alkanes with the same number of C atoms. The more branches, the lower the boiling point.

c. Alkanes dissolve easily in organic solvents but are difficult to dissolve in water

d. Oxidation or combustion of alkanes is exothermic or produces heat. Combustion of alkanes takes place perfectly and imperfectly. Complete combustion produces CO2 while incomplete combustion produces CO gas

The complete combustion reaction of alkanes, namely:

CH4(g) + 2 O2(g) ==> CO2(g) + 2 H2O(g) + E

The incomplete combustion reaction of alkanes, namely:

2 CH4(g) + 3 O2(g)==> CO(g) + 4 H2O(g) + E

e. Alkanes can react substitution with halogens. A substitution reaction is a reaction of replacing an atom/group of atoms with another atom/group of atoms.

CH4(g) + Cl2(g) ==> CH3Cl (g) + HCl (g)

f. Long chain alkane compounds can undergo elimination reactions. Elimination reactions are reactions where atoms/groups of atoms are removed to get simpler carbon compounds. An example of the thermal elimination reaction of petroleum and natural gas.

Uses of Alkanes

In general, alkanes are used as fuels and raw materials in the petrochemical industry.

  • methane, is used as a fuel for cooking and a raw material for the manufacture of chemicals such as H2 and NH3.
  • Ethane, used as a cooking fuel and as a refrigerant in two-stage low-temperature refrigeration systems.
  • Propane, is used as the main component of LPG gas for cooking and raw materials for organic compounds.
  • butane, used as vehicle fuel and synthetic rubber raw material
  • Octane, is used as the main component of motor vehicle materials, namely gasoline.

Thus the review from About the knowledge.co.id about Alkane,Hope it is useful.

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