alkane
nounUK /ˈæl.keɪn/
Etymology From German Alkan, formed as alkyl + -ane.
1
Chemistry, Natural sciences, Organic chemistry, Physical sciences Any acyclic saturated hydrocarbon (methane, ethane, etc.).
- The carbon chain of an alkane may be linear or branched, but must not contain loops (cycles); its chemical formula is of the form CₙH₂ₙ₊₂.
- Whereas production levels of short-chain alkanes in plants are insufficient to provide an economically viable fuel source, the genes encoding the alkane biosynthetic pathway may provide a biotechnological resource for engineering fermentation organisms with the capacity to convert biomass to an alkane-based fuel.1997, T. J. Savage, M. K. Hristova, R. Croteau, “Biochemistry of Short-Chain Alkanes: Evidence for an Elongation/Reduction/C1-Elimination Pathway”, in John Peter Williams, Mobashsher Uddin Khan, Nora Wan Lem, editors, Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Lipids, Kluwer Academic Publishers, page 51:
2 more examples
- The oxidation of the simplest alkane methanol is carried out by methylotrophs that may be obligate or facultative.2007, Alasdair H. Neilson, Ann-Sofie Allard, Environmental Degradation and Transformation of Organic Chemicals, Taylor & Francis (CRC Press), page 103:
- 2012, Chulsung Bae, Chapter 3: Catalytic Carbon-Boron Bond Formation via Activation of Alkane C-H Bonds, Pedro J. Pérez, Alkane C-H Activation by Single-Site Metal Catalysis, Springer, page 73, Alkanes are extremely unreactive toward nucleophiles and electrophiles because they are composed of nonpolar, strong, saturated C–H and C-C bonds.
- Synonyms
- paraffin
- Derived terms
- alkanesulfonate, alkanethiol, alkanethiolate, alkanium, alkanofer, alkanol, bioalkane, bromoalkane, chloroalkane, chlorofluoroalkane, cycloalkane, fluoroalkane, haloalkane, halonitroalkane, hydrofluoroalkane, isoalkane, nitroalkane, phenylalkane, polyhaloalkane, trimethylalkane
- Hypernyms
- hydrocarbon