Alkanes and IUPAC Naming

Introduction to Alkanes

• Alkanes are hydrocarbons, meaning they are composed of only carbon and hydrogen atoms.

• They are classified as aliphatic compounds, characterized by carbon-carbon ($C-C$) and carbon-hydrogen ($C-H$) single (sigma) bonds.

• Alkanes can be either:

  • Acyclic: Straight or branched chains of carbons.

  • Cyclic: Carbon atoms form a ring structure.

Alkane Formulas and Saturation

• Acyclic Alkanes: The general formula for a non-cyclic alkane is $C<em>n H</em>{(2n+2)}$, where $n$ is the number of carbon atoms.

• Example: If an alkane has $n=4$ carbons, it will have $2(4)+2 = 10$ hydrogens, so its formula is $C<em>4 H</em>{10}$.

• Example: For $n=10$ carbons, there would be $2(10)+2 = 22$ hydrogens, so $C<em>{10} H</em>{22}$.

• Saturated Hydrocarbons: Alkanes are considered saturated hydrocarbons because they contain the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms for their given number of carbon atoms, meaning they only have carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen single bonds and no double or triple bonds. This distinguishes them from unsaturated hydrocarbons like alkenes and alkynes.