hydrocarbon

(noun)

A compound consisting only of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Related Terms

Examples of hydrocarbon in the following topics:

  • Anoxic Hydrocarbon Oxidation

    • Anoxic hydrocarbon oxidation can be used to degrade toxic hydrocarbons, such as crude oil, in anaerobic environments.
    • Hydrocarbons are organic compounds consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon.
    • The combustion of hydrocarbons is the primary energy source for current civilizations.
    • Although it was once thought that hydrocarbon compounds could only be degraded in the presence of oxygen, the discovery of anaerobic hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and pathways show that the anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbons occurs naturally.
    • Microbes may be used to degrade toxic hydrocarbons in anaerobic environments.

  • Introduction to Hydrocarbons

    • Hydrocarbons are the simplest class of organic compounds, consisting solely of hydrogen and carbon.
    • Hydrocarbons are the simplest class of organic compounds and are composed solely of hydrogen and carbon.
    • This class can be further divided into two groups: aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons.
    • Aromatic hydrocarbons, or arenes, which contain a benzene ring, were originally named for their pleasant odors.
    • The study of hydrocarbons is particularly important to the fields of chemical and petroleum engineering, as a variety of hydrocarbons can be found in crude oil.

  • Aerobic Hydrocarbon Oxidation

    • Microbes can utilize hydrocarbons via a stepwise oxidation of a hydrocarbon by oxygen produces water and, successively, an alcohol, an aldehyde or a ketone, a carboxylic acid, and then a peroxide.
    • Note the presence of oxygen, thus defining this as aerobic hydrocarbon oxidation.
    • There are examples of anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidation, which will not be discussed here.
    • Biosurfactants enhance the emulsification of hydrocarbons, have the potential to solubilize hydrocarbon contaminants, and increase their availability for microbial degradation.
    • Discuss the advantages of organisms that can undergo aerobic hydrocarbon oxidation

  • Hydrocarbons

    • Hydrocarbons are organic molecules consisting entirely of carbon and hydrogen, such as methane (CH4).
    • Hydrocarbons are often used as fuels: the propane in a gas grill or the butane in a lighter.
    • The hydrocarbons discussed so far have been aliphatic hydrocarbons, which consist of linear chains of carbon atoms.
    • Another type of hydrocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbons, consists of closed rings of carbon atoms.
    • Some hydrocarbons have both aliphatic and aromatic portions; beta-carotene is an example of such a hydrocarbon.

  • Alkenes & Alkynes

    • Alkenes and alkynes are hydrocarbons which respectively have carbon-carbon double bond and carbon-carbon triple bond functional groups.
    • The molecular formulas of these unsaturated hydrocarbons reflect the multiple bonding of the functional groups:
    • As noted earlier in the Analysis of Molecular Formulas section, the molecular formula of a hydrocarbon provides information about the possible structural types it may represent.

  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

    • It can degrade high molecular mass polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of 4 and 5 rings.
    • Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), also known as poly-aromatic hydrocarbons or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, are seen in .
    • It can degrade high molecular mass polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of 4 and 5 rings.
    • An image showing three examples of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
    • Recognize various sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and means of removal (bio-, phy

  • A Structure Formula Relationship

    • Recall that the molecular formula of a hydrocarbon (CnHm) provides information about the number of rings and/or double bonds that must be present in its structural formula.
    • This molecular formula analysis may be extended beyond hydrocarbons by a few simple corrections.

  • Cycloalkanes

    • Cycloalkanes are saturated hydrocarbons that contain a ring in their carbon backbones.
    • Cycloalkanes are saturated hydrocarbons that contain a ring in their carbon backbones.
    • However, unlike linear hydrocarbons, which can achieve a more stable tetrahedral configuration around each carbon atom in the backbone, the bond angles in cycloalkanes are constrained, producing ring strain.
    • Hydrocarbons with two rings are called bicyclic, and well-known examples are norbornane and decalin.

  • Drawing Hydrocarbon Structures

    • Hydrocarbon structures can be drawn from the IUPAC names of chemical compounds by starting with the carbon backbone and adding substituents.
    • Hydrocarbons can be drawn in several equally valid ways.
    • To draw a hydrocarbon using the bond line method, place your pencil on a piece of paper.
    • Now the hydrocarbon represented by the short, straight line is two carbon atoms in length; it has two ends.
    • When including an alkene bond in your hydrocarbon structure, aim for 120 degree bond angles about each doubly-bonded carbon.

  • Analysis of Molecular Formulas

    • For compounds of carbon and hydrogen (hydrocarbons) the maximum number of hydrogen atoms that can be bonded to n carbons is 2n + 2 (n is an integer).
    • The origin of this formula is evident by considering a hydrocarbon made up of a chain of carbon atoms.
    • Consider a hydrocarbon with a molecular structure consisting of a simple chain of four carbon atoms, CH3CH2CH2CH3.
    • From the above discussion and examples it should be clear that the molecular formula of a hydrocarbon (CnHm) provides information about the number of rings and/or double bonds that must be present in its structural formula.