Radicals, Cycloalkanes, Conformations

Formation or Breaking.

Symmetrical or homolytic (radicals, symmetrical)

• One electron remains with each product fragment, fishhook 

Unsymmetrical or heterolytic (polar reactions, even number of electrons in orbitals)

• Bond bonding e- leave with one product while the other has a vacant orbital

• Alkanes

End of a compound tells about the family

Single bonds = saturation

Cn H2n+2

Cycloalkanes, alkenes

• One degree of unsaturation so C2H2

• Prefix + ring + parent + suffix

• Strained angles in cyclo molecules

Primary carbon - carbon bonded to one other carbon atom

Quaternary - one carbon bonded to 4 other carbons

• Hydrogens they're connected to have the same degree

• The most stable confirmation is the least crowded formation

In a cyclic structure, the 5th carbon is bent out of the plan to maintain 109.5 bond angles (envelope)

For cyclohexane, the most stable formation is the chair formation

• Axial positions are up and down x6

• Equatorial positions are side to side x6

• Equatorial is more stable

Solubility - like dissolves like (polar in polar, etc.)

• However, alkanes are also soluble in nonpolar organic compounds

Rxns.

• Oxidation

• Halogenation (radical)

Radical Reaction

• Initiation, UV breaks Cl2 bonds to make Cl radicals

• Propagation, reacts with methane and grabs e-, forming another radical, etc.

• Termination - two radicals combine to end the chain reaction