Reactions of alkanes

Combustion When alkanes are heated in a plentiful supply of air, combustion occurs Alkanes are
energetically unstable with respect to water and carbon dioxide They only burn when they are in the
gaseous state  Explain what happens when a candle burns!

2 C4H10(g) + 13 O2 (g) 8 CO2 (g) + 10 H2O(g) 2 C8H18(l) + 25 O2 (g) 16 CO2 (g) + 18 H2O(g)

Reactions with chlorine Alkanes only react with chlorine when a mixture of the two is exposed to
sunlight or ultraviolet light The light provides the energy required to break the very strong bonds This
is an example of a substitution reaction

SUBSTITUTION

In the presence of light, or at high temperatures, alkanes react with halogens to form alkyl halides.
Reaction with chlorine gives an alkyl chloride. CH4 (g) + Cl2 (g) CH3Cl(g) + HCl(g)

Cracking happens when alkanes are heated in the absence of air The products of the cracking of long-
chain hydrocarbons are shorter chain molecules Ethane is cracked industrially to produce ethane

Cracking

Alkanes are non polar so they are insoluble in water but soluble in each other. Low molecular alkanes
are gases. Boiling points increase with increasing chain length (molecular weight) for the first few
members Boiling points decrease with increasing number of branches.(Explain this in terms of Van der
Waals’ forces and surface area.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Melting and boiling points increase with increased molecular weight (Methane bp. -164°C, decane bp.
174°C) While boiling point decrease with chain branching (decrease in surface area), melting points
increase · Alkanes are less dense than water and swim on top of water
HALOGENOALKANES Halogenoalkanes are compounds in which one or more hydrogen atoms in an
alkane have been replaced by halogen atoms (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine)

Functional group = halogen ◦ Ex. Fluorine = fluoro Number by which carbon attached to, put in
alphabetical order Ex. Bromoethane Halogenoalkanes f

Halogenoalkanes fall into different classes depending on how the halogen atom is positioned on the
chain of carbon atoms. There are some chemical differences between the various types. • Primary •
Secondary • Tertiary ◦ Primary (1°) – carbon carrying halogen is attached to only one carbon alkyl group ◦
Secondary (2°)– carbon carrying halogen is attached to two other alkyl groups ◦ Tertiary (3°) – carbon
carrying halogen is attached to three alkyl groups Reactions of the halogenoalkanes Substitution:In a
substitution reaction, one atom or group of atoms, takes the place of another in a molecule.
Elimination: Halogenoalkanes also undergo elimination reactions in the presence of sodium or potassium
hydroxide which is dissolved in ethanol.