Name: MAUREN D.

NORBE November 10, 2021

YEAR/COURSE: BSCPE 1-GE Assignment in ChemLec

Properties and Uses of Alkanes, Alkenes, and Alkynes

PROPERTIES USES
➢ Alkanes are colorless Alkanes are very versatile
and odorless. and are being used as
solvents, heating oils, fuels, in
➢ They possess weak Van fat synthesis, in the synthesis
Der Waals forces of of fatty acids by air oxidation,
attraction. in the manufacture of
➢ Alkanes having 1-4 albumen, in the
carbon atoms are gases, transformation to olefins, etc.
then from 5-17 carbon ➢ Propane and butane are
atoms they are liquid used in propane gas
and alkanes having 18 burners, as propellants
or more carbon atoms or aerosol sprays when
are solid at 298K liquified at low
➢ Structure of alkanes - In temperature.
alkanes all the carbon ➢ Pentane to octane fuels
atoms are sp³ hybridized is good fuel for an
which means that they internal combustion
form four sigma bonds
Alkanes with either carbon or
engine.

hydrogen atoms. Their ➢ Nonane to hexadecane

general formula Is
CₙH₂ₙ+2
➢ Alkanes are generally
non-polar molecules
because of the covalent
bonds between C-C and
C-H and also because of
the very small
difference between
electronegativities of
carbon and hydrogen
have high viscosity and
find use in diesel and
aviation fuel.
➢ Alkanes are important
raw materials of the
chemical industry and
the principal
constituent of gasoline
and lubricating oils.
Natural gas mainly
contains methane and
ethane and is used for
heating and cooking
purposes and for power
utilities (gas turbines).
For transportation
purposes, natural gas
may be liquefied by
applying pressure and
cooling it (LNG =
liquid natural gas).
 ➢ Alkenes are more
reactive than their
related alkanes due to
the relative instability of
the double bond.
➢ They are more likely to
participate in a variety
of reactions, including
combustion, addition,
hydrogenation, and
halogenation reactions.
➢ Alkenes can also be
reacted, typically in the
presence of a catalyst, to
form polymers.
Alkenes ➢ The boiling points of
alkenes depend on their
molecular structure. The
bigger their molecular
chain the higher the
boiling points. So the
higher alkenes have
very high boiling points
➢ The polarity of alkenes
will depend on their
functional groups
➢ The uniqueness in the
alkyne structure is due
to the hybridization.
The acidity of alkynes,
non-polar bonding
strength, and linearity is
due to the triple bonds
in these compounds.
These compounds are
slightly soluble in polar
Alkynes solvents and are totally
insoluble in water
➢ Alkynes have the
capability of dissolving
in organic solvents as
the density of the
solution is less, which is
a characteristic feature
of alkenes as well. For
example: it has the
capability to dissolve in
ether solution.
➢ In manufacturing,
alkenes find many
different applications.
They are used in the
synthesis of alcohols,
plastics, lacquers,
detergents, and fuels as
starting materials. For
the chemical industry,
the most important
alkenes are ethene,
propene, and 1,3-
butadiene.
➢ Manufacture of
polystyrene used in
making car battery
cases and parts of the
refrigerator.
➢ Manufacture of ethanol
and synthetic fiber
terylene.
➢ Making an anti-knock
for car engines.
➢ Manufacture of
propanol used in
making acetone.
➢ The overriding
alkyne in acetylene
is used as a fuel
where many
kilograms are
produced every year
by fractional
oxidation of natural
gases.
➢ Some of these
alkynes are used to
make organic
compounds such as
ethanoic acid,
acrylic acid, and
ethanol.
➢ Alkynes are used to
artificially ripen
fruits as a general
anesthetic for
making poisonous
mustard gas.
➢ The alkanes can exist as
gases, liquids, or solids
at room temperature.
The unbranched alkanes
methane, ethane,
propane, and butane are
gases; pentane through
hexadecane are liquids;
the homologues larger
than hexadecane are
solids.
➢ Solid alkanes are
normally soft, with low
melting points. These
characteristics are due ➢ Alkynes are used in
to strong repulsive
forces generated
between electrons on
neighboring atoms,
which are in close
proximity in crystalline
solids. The strong
repulsive forces
counterbalance the
weak van der Waals
forces of attraction.
➢ Another property of an
alkyne is that, if you try
to burn it, the flame
results will turn out to
be a sooty flame.
➢ Many alkynes are
dangerous for
humans when used
in pharmaceuticals.
However, specific
alkynes, known as
enediynes, hold a
very strong and
aggressive anti-
tumor compound.
Calicheamicin is an
example of an anti-
tumor working
agent.
the manufacture of
many drugs on the
market, such as
antiretroviral
efavirenz and the
antifungal
terbinafine.