Analysis of Hydrocarbons Nalus, Shayne Mariz J., Narra, Julie Anne R., Ong, Ivy Camille B.

and Orquia, Patricia Denise Z.* Department of Psychology, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines

Abstract Four organic samples: cyclohexane, cyclohexene, napthalene and toulene were given to serve as reference standards and undergo to three different tests. Nitration, bromine and basic oxidation tests were conducted to classify the different samples from being an aliphatic or aromatic, saturated or unsaturated and alkylated or non-alkylated hydrocarbons. The unknown sample was characterized and differentiated by using the three different tests and found out that it is non-aromatic and unsaturated. Introduction This experiment aims to differentiate various types of hydrocarbons, to device a scheme to distiguish hydrocarbons from each type and to characterize an unknown hydrocarbon through parallel chemical tests. There are millions of organic compounds that are already known. One type of which is the most common and the simplest type that is only composed of hydrogen and carbon atom, the hydrocarbons. All hydrocarbons are insoluble in water due to their relatively non-polarity. Instead, they mix with relatively non-polar solvents like dichlromethane or carbon tetrachloride. Hydrocarbons can be characterize on the way in which carbon atoms are connected, the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Aliphatic hydrocarbons, from the Greek word aleiphar (fat or oil), are long carbon-chain molecules which are usually found in animal fats and plant oils. In aliphatic hydrocarbons, carbon atoms are joined together in straight chains, branched chains, or non-aromatic rings. Aliphatics undergo free-radical substitution reactions. The aromatic hydrocarbon or arene, are characterized by having molecular structures which are called benzene rings. They are characterized by ionic substitution reactions due to their opposition to addition reactions because of their aromacity: the possession of a closed loop of electrons and a manifestation of cyclic delocalization and low reactivity of resonance.

Another means of classification rely upon the type of bonding that exists between carbons. Saturated hydrocarbons contains only single carbon-carbon bonds and unsaturated hydrocarbons that contains two or more carbon-carbon bonds, or benzene-like rings. Saturation refers to the fact that each carbon has its maximum number of bonds to hydrogen. Alkanes, with the general formula of CnH2n+2, and cycloalkanes, where the carbon atoms are joined up in a ring and with the general formula of CnH2n, are classified as saturated with a single carbon-carbon bond. On the other hand, unsaturated hydrocarbons are highly reactive and undergo addition reactions to their multiple bonds. Alkenes, with double carbon-carbon bonds and a general formula of CnH2n, and Alkynes, which are triple bonded and have a general formula of CnH2n-2, are classified as unsaturated hydrocarbons. The presence of a double or triple bond in the molecule opens up many more possibilities for isomerism compared with single bonded molecules. Hydrocarbons can also be grouped if there is an alkyl substitution that has happened to the compound. Alkylated hydrocarbons undergo alkylation in which there is a transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. Hydrocarbons that do not undergo alkylation are called non-alkylated hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons react differently in various reagents. In characerizing an unknown hydrocarbon, the sample must undergo through parallel chemical tests. The three tests: nitration, bromine and basic oxidation tests can be used to determine the type of hydrocarbon of a given sample. Results and Discussion