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The following is a list of straight-chain alkanes, the total number of isomers of each (including branched chains), and their common names, sorted by number of carbon atoms. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Number of C atoms
A straight-chain alkane will have a boiling point higher than a branched-chain alkane due to the greater surface area in contact, and thus greater van der Waals forces, between adjacent molecules. For example, compare isobutane (2-methylpropane) and n-butane (butane), which boil at −12 and 0 °C, and 2,2-dimethylbutane and 2,3-dimethylbutane ...
In general, straight-chain alkanes are converted to branched isomers by heating in the presence of a catalyst. Examples include isomerisation of n-butane to isobutane and pentane to isopentane. Highly branched alkanes have favorable combustion characteristics for internal combustion engines. [2] Further examples are the Wagner–Meerwein ...
There are also a large number of branched or ring alkanes that have specific names, e.g., tert-butyl, bornyl, cyclohexyl, etc. There are several functional groups that contain an alkene such as vinyl group, allyl group, or acrylic group. Hydrocarbons may form charged structures: positively charged carbocations or negative carbanions.
Unsaturated compounds generally carry out typical addition reactions that are not possible with saturated compounds such as alkanes. A saturated organic compound has only single bond between carbon atoms. An important class of saturated compounds are the alkanes. Many saturated compounds have functional groups, e.g., alcohols.
On the NFPA 704 scale, 2-methylhexane is listed as a reactivity level-0 chemical, along with various other alkanes. In fact, most alkanes are unreactive except in extreme conditions, such as combustion or strong sunlight. At the presence of oxygen and flame, 2-methylhexane, like heptane, combusts mostly completely into water and carbon dioxide.
The name "homologous series" is also often used for any collection of compounds that have similar structures or include the same functional group, such as the general alkanes (straight and branched), the alkenes (olefins), the carbohydrates, etc. However, if the members cannot be arranged in a linear order by a single parameter, the collection ...
Bicyclic alkanes include bicycloundecane, decalin, and housane. Polycyclic alkanes include cubane, basketane, and tetrahedrane. Spiro compounds have two or more rings that are connected through only one carbon atom. The mode of ring-closing in the formation of many alicyclic compounds can be predicted by Baldwin's rules.