alkane

Also known as saturated hydrocarbon, alkanes

right|thumb|Chemical structure of methane, the simplest alkane

AI overview

An alkane is a type of molecule made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms arranged in chains or rings, with methane being the simplest example. Alkanes are important because they form the basis of many fuels like natural gas and oil, and are fundamental building blocks for countless chemicals we use daily.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

118,242 papers

Insights into cyanobacterial alkane biosynthesis.ReviewJournal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology · 2022Parveen H, Yazdani SSDOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuab075
Structure and Function of Alkane Monooxygenase (AlkB).ReviewAccounts of chemical research · 2023Groves JT, Feng L, Austin RNDOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00590
Expanding anaerobic alkane metabolism in the domain of Archaea.ReviewNature microbiology · 2019Wang Y, Wegener G, Hou J et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0364-2
Utilization of n-alkane and roles of lipid transfer proteins in Yarrowia lipolytica.ReviewWorld journal of microbiology & biotechnology · 2023Fukuda RDOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03541-3
N-alkane shape distinctive microbial patterns in Kuroshio Extension.Environment international · 2024Hu X, Zhao S, Li H et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108757
Metabolism of Hydrocarbons in n-Alkane-Utilizing Anaerobic Bacteria.ReviewJournal of molecular microbiology and biotechnology · 2016Wilkes H, Buckel W, Golding BT et al.DOI: 10.1159/000442160
Alkane hydroxylases involved in microbial alkane degradation.ReviewApplied microbiology and biotechnology · 2007van Beilen JB, Funhoff EGDOI: 10.1007/s00253-006-0748-0
Alkane biohydroxylation: Interests, constraints and future developments.ReviewJournal of biotechnology · 2016Soussan L, Pen N, Belleville MP et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.02.007

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Wikidata facts

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Alkanes
canonical SMILES: C[*]
CXSMILES: [H]C([H])([H])[H] |Sg:n:1,2,3:n:ht|

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~40 min read

Article

45 sections

Contents

Structure and classification
Isomerism
Nomenclature
Linear alkanes
Branched alkanes
Saturated cyclic hydrocarbons
Trivial/common names
Physical properties
Table of alkanes
Boiling points
Melting points
Conductivity and solubility
Bond lengths and bond angles
Conformation
Spectroscopic properties
Infrared spectroscopy
NMR spectroscopy
Mass spectrometry
Chemical properties
Acid-base behavior
Reactions with oxygen (combustion reaction)
Biodegradation
Free radical reactions
C–H activation
Cracking
Isomerization and reformation
Other reactions
Occurrence
Occurrence of alkanes in the Universe
Occurrence of alkanes on Earth
Biological occurrence
Ecological relations
Production
Petroleum refining
Coal
Laboratory preparation
Applications
Fuels
Precursors to chemicals
Other
Hazards
See also
Notes
References
Further reading

right|thumb|Chemical structure of methane, the simplest alkane

In organic chemistry, an alkane, or paraffin (a historical trivial name that also has other meanings), is an acyclic saturated hydrocarbon. In other words, an alkane consists of hydrogen and carbon atoms arranged in a tree structure in which all the carbon–carbon bonds are single. Alkanes have the general chemical formula {{chem2|C_{n}H_{2n+2} }}. The alkanes range in complexity from the simplest case of methane (), where n = 1 (sometimes called the parent molecule), to arbitrarily large and complex molecules, like hexacontane () or 4-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl) octane, an isomer of dodecane ().