Alkene: Difference between revisions
→Reactions: Restructured and expanded; polymerisation has still to be cleared up |
m →Electrophilic addition: corrected link |
||
Line 35: | Line 35: | ||
#Halogenation: Addition of elementary [[bromine]] or [[chlorine]] to [[alkenes]] yield vicinal Dibromo- and dichloroalkenes, respectively. The decoloration of a solution of bromine in water is an analytical test for the presence of alkenes:<br>CH<sub>2</sub>=CH<sub>2</sub> + Br<sub>2</sub> → BrCH<sub>2</sub>-CH<sub>2</sub>Br |
#Halogenation: Addition of elementary [[bromine]] or [[chlorine]] to [[alkenes]] yield vicinal Dibromo- and dichloroalkenes, respectively. The decoloration of a solution of bromine in water is an analytical test for the presence of alkenes:<br>CH<sub>2</sub>=CH<sub>2</sub> + Br<sub>2</sub> → BrCH<sub>2</sub>-CH<sub>2</sub>Br |
||
#Hydrohalogenation: Addition of [[hydrohalic acids]] like [[HCl]] or HBr to alkenes yield the corresponding [[ |
#Hydrohalogenation: Addition of [[hydrohalic acids]] like [[HCl]] or HBr to alkenes yield the corresponding [[haloalkane]]s.<BR> CH<sub>3</sub>-CH=CH<sub>2</sub> + HBr --> CH<sub>3</sub>-CH'''Br'''-CH<sub>3</sub><BR> If the two carbon atoms at the double bond are linked to a different number of hydrogen atoms, the halogen is found preferentially at the carbon with less hydrogen substituents ([[Markovnikov's rule]]). |
||
===Oxidation=== |
===Oxidation=== |
Revision as of 09:41, 17 July 2004
An alkene is a hydrocarbon that has a double bond between two carbon atoms.
Alkenes are unsaturated substances.
The generic formula is CnH2n. The simplest alkene is ethene (also known as ethylene):
Physical properties
- The same as alkanes.
- Physical state depends on molecular mass.
Chemical properties
Alkenes are relatively stable compounds, but are more reactive than alkanes.
Reactions
Synthesis
- The most common industrial synthesis path for alkenes is cracking of petroleum.
- Alkenes can be synthesized from alcohols via an elimination reaction that removes one water molecule:
H3C-CH2-OH + H2SO4 → H3C-CH2-O-SO3H + H2O → H2C=CH2 + H2SO4 - Catalytic synthesis of higher α-alkenes can be achieved by a reaction of ethene with triethylaluminium, an organometallic compound in the presence of nickel, cobalt or platinum.
Addition reactions
Catalytic addition of hydrogen
Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes produce the corresponding alkanes. The reaction is carried out under pressure in the presence of a metallic catalyst. Common industrial catalysts are based on platinum, nickel or palladium, for laboratory syntheses, Raney's nickel is often employed. This is an alloy of nickel and aluminium.
This is the catalytic hydrogenation of ethylene to yield ethane:
CH2=CH2 + H2 → CH3-CH3
Electrophilic addition
Most addition reactions to alkenes follow the mechanism of electrophilic addition.
- Halogenation: Addition of elementary bromine or chlorine to alkenes yield vicinal Dibromo- and dichloroalkenes, respectively. The decoloration of a solution of bromine in water is an analytical test for the presence of alkenes:
CH2=CH2 + Br2 → BrCH2-CH2Br - Hydrohalogenation: Addition of hydrohalic acids like HCl or HBr to alkenes yield the corresponding haloalkanes.
CH3-CH=CH2 + HBr --> CH3-CHBr-CH3
If the two carbon atoms at the double bond are linked to a different number of hydrogen atoms, the halogen is found preferentially at the carbon with less hydrogen substituents (Markovnikov's rule).
Oxidation
- In the presence of oxygen, alkenes burn with a bright flame to carbon dioxide and water.
- Catalytic oxidation with oxygen or the reaction with percarboxylic acids yields epoxides
- Reaction with ozone leads to the breaking of the double bond, yielding two aldehydes or ketones
R1-CH=CH-R2 + O3 → R1-CHO + R2-CHO
This reaction can be used to determine the position of a double bond in an unknown alkene.
Polymerisation
here is the case of the ethylene
- Activation step
Under a thermic source of energy, peroxide will decompose into two free radicals.
RO - OR → 2 RO*
- Initiation step
the alone electron of the RO* will bond with an electron from the pi-bonding.
RO* + CH2=CH2 → ROCH2-CH2*
- Propagation step
There is the addition of n monomers to obtain a polymer.
ROCH2-CH2* + n CH2=CH2 → RO(CH2-CH2)n-CH2-CH2*
- Breaking step
Recombinaison of two free radicals.
R* + *R → R-R