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Topic 2Alkanes and Cycloalkanes

Alkanes and cycloalkanes are saturated hydrocarbons: they contain only C–C and C–H single bonds. They are the skeleton of all organic molecules and, through petroleum and natural gas, the main source of energy of our society.

ALKANES

Video: Endless carbon chains: alkanes

Table of linear alkanes from methane to eicosane: name, molecular formula and condensed structural formula

Structure and Nomenclature

Crayons and a candle next to a graph of the melting and boiling points of alkanes

Physical Properties

Space-filling model of ethane rotating about its C–C bond

Conformations (Rotamers)

Fractional distillation of crude oil: light hydrocarbons, gasoline, naphthas, kerosene, gas oil, lubricants, fuel oil and residues

Preparation

Typical reactions of alkanes: dehydrogenation, isomerization, combustion and halogenation

Reactivity

CYCLOALKANES

Video: Cycloalkanes

Cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclopentane and cyclohexane, with menthol and camphor as natural cycloalkanes

Structure and Nomenclature

Table of boiling points, melting points and densities of cycloalkanes, from cyclopropane to cyclododecane

Physical Properties

Table of calculated and experimental heats of combustion of cycloalkanes (CH₂)ₙ, total strain and strain per CH₂

Relative Stability

Animated space-filling model of cyclohexane chair inversion

Cyclohexane

Animated space-filling model of the conformational equilibrium of a substituted cyclohexane

Substituted Cyclohexanes

Cyclotetradecane and cycloheptane in stick and space-filling models: larger cycloalkanes have no true axial and equatorial positions

Larger and Polycyclic Cycloalkanes