ALKENES

Reported by: Monette P. Coloma

Introduction of Alkenes

Alkene - hydrocarbon with at least one carbon-carbon double bond

Unsaturated- an saturated molecule has least one double bond or triple bond

General formula for Alkene (CnH2n)

Example: H H Ethene

C=C C2H4

H H unsaturated Alkene

Nomenclature of Alkenes

Note: alkenes is a double bond therefore the suffix-ene is use

Procedure in naming alkene

1. Identify and name the longest continuous chain of carbon atoms, select the longest continuous
chain with the maximum number of double bond.

CH2=CHCH2CH3 1-Butene

2. Indicate the presence of a double bond with the suffix –ene.

C=C
Alkene
3. Number the carbon chain starting from the double bond take it as priority in alkene.

1 2 3 4

CH2=CHCH2CH3

4. Name all the groups connected to the longest carbon chain using prefixes. Locate the position of
groups with number determined in step 3.
1 2 3 4
CH2=CHCH2CH3
1-Butane
 CYCLOALKENES
Cycloalkenes are hydrocarbons containing a ring of carbon atoms and one or more double bonds in the
cycle that do not form an aromatic ring.

Cycloalkenes have the general formula CnH2(n-m). The letter m represents the number of double bonds. Thus,
cyclopropene has the formula C3H4 while that of cyclobutene is C4H6.

Skeletal and Positional Isomerism of Alkenes

Isomers – compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural formulas

Skeletal isomers – isomers that differ in the arrangement of carbon chain

Positional isomers – isomers that different in location of a noncarbon group or a double or triple bond.

Example of Positional Isomers

CH3CH2CH=CH2
1-Butene
CH3CH=CHCH3
2-Butene
Note: This compound is the same but different in position of the carbon-carbon double bond
Example of Skeletal Isomers
CH3
l
CH3C=CH2 Methylpropene

There is only one possible isomer with this skeleton; it is a skeletal isomer of both1-butene and 2-
butene.

Preparation of Alkene

1. Dehydration – removal of water

2. Dehydrohalogenation – removal of H2O and halogens

3. Dehalogenation – removal of halogens

4. Hydrozenation – addition of H20

5. Cracking

Reactions of Alkene
1. Combustion

2. Hydrohalogen

3. Halogenation

4. Hydrogenation
 POLYMERISATION
Polymerisation occurs when double bond brake at temperature around 200 C and very high pressure
of 2000 atm when the double bond brake adjacent molecules link together to form very long molecules of this
repeating unit.

Monomer is the repeating unit

CH2=CH2 CH2=CH2 CH2=CH2 CH2=CH2
ethylene
CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2
polyethylene

Important of Alkenes
Ethylene (ethene)

Used in the manufacture of the plastic polyethylene. The release of ethylene stimulates the beginning of
the ripening process in many plants; some plants can be picked while unripe (when they are less fragile), and
exposed to ethylene gas to cause ripening once they reach their destination.

Propylene (propene)

Produced in the cracking of petroleum; used in the manufacture of the plastic polypropylene.

Vinyl chloride (chloroethene)

A carcinogenic gas manufactured from

ethylene; used in the manufacture of the plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Tetrachloroethylene

Better known as perchloroethylene (“Perc”); a nonflammable organic solvent, widely used in dry
cleaning; it is also used as an industrial solvent, degreaser, and paint remover.

Lycopene

A red pigment found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya, pink grapefruit, apricots, and rosehips;
lycopene is a good antioxidant, and is more readily absorbed from cooked tomatoes and tomato paste, especially
if the foods contain fat.

Muscalure (cis-9-tricosene)

The sex pheromone of the female common housefly (Musca domestica).

Zeaxanthin

A yellow pigment found in corn, egg yolk, orange juice, mangoes; also contributes to the yellowish
color of animal fats. It is also found in the macula region of the retina (macula lutea, “yellow spot”), where it
filters out some blue and UV light, acting like internal sunglasses; macular degeneration is the most common
cause of blindness in the elderly

Astaxanthin

A pink pigment found in salmon, trout, red seabream and the carapaces of lobster and shrimp. In live
shellfish, the astaxanthin is wrapped in a protein which gives it a blackish color; when the shellfish are boiled,
the protein uncoils, liberating the pink astaxanthin.