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Aliphatic compound
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<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <p>Aliphatics compounds can be <a href="/facts/Saturated_and_unsaturated_compounds/tde2C216">saturated</a>, joined by single bonds (<a href="/facts/Alkane/Qam7Hvmf">alkanes</a>), or unsaturated, with double bonds (<a href="/facts/Alkene/RtYcS6kU">alkenes</a>) or triple bonds (<a href="/facts/Alkyne/VHI4N5Wo">alkynes</a>). If other elements (<a href="/facts/Heteroatom/QzxXyfCT">heteroatoms</a>) are bound to the <a href="/facts/Catenation/vm7k4zsv">carbon chain</a>, the most common being <a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">oxygen</a>, <a href="/facts/Nitrogen/Nf1QpGDz">nitrogen</a>, <a href="/facts/Sulfur/IK0amTfM">sulfur</a>, and <a href="/facts/Chlorine/y27UwYBM">chlorine</a>, it is no longer a hydrocarbon, and therefore no longer an aliphatic compound. However, such compounds may still be referred to as aliphatic if the hydrocarbon portion of the molecule is aliphatic, e.g. <a href="/facts/Aliphatic_amine/SN7W44fv">aliphatic amines</a>, to differentiate them from <a href="/facts/Aromatic_amines/Az8ttGQT">aromatic amines</a>. </p><p>The least complex aliphatic compound is <a href="/facts/Methane/kBHneYnh">methane</a> (CH4). </p> <h2 id="properties">Properties</h2> <p>Most aliphatic compounds are <a href="/facts/Flammable/1QexTQ4T">flammable</a>, allowing the use of <a href="/facts/Hydrocarbon/Dcg95Ju5">hydrocarbons</a> as <a href="/facts/Fuel/H8DIRL1j">fuel</a>, such as methane in <a href="/facts/Natural_gas/9MYQ7NAP">natural gas</a> for stoves or heating; <a href="/facts/Butane/InIHpYlY">butane</a> in <a href="/facts/Butane_torch/r9cobY2t">torches</a> and <a href="/facts/Lighter/1RmolVYz">lighters</a>; various aliphatic (as well as aromatic) hydrocarbons in liquid transportation fuels like <a href="/facts/Gasoline/lcnxq5BS">petrol/gasoline</a>, <a href="/facts/Diesel_fuel/lm71xc19">diesel</a>, and <a href="/facts/Jet_fuel/4CDswF3t">jet fuel</a>; and other uses such as <a href="/facts/Ethyne/yaDh6cmJ">ethyne</a> (acetylene) in <a href="/facts/Welding/6EJ62mYV">welding</a>. </p> <h2 id="examples-of-aliphatic-compounds">Examples of aliphatic compounds</h2> <p>The most important aliphatic compounds are: </p> <ul><li>n-, iso- and cyclo-alkanes (saturated hydrocarbons)</li> <li>n-, iso- and cyclo-alkenes and -alkynes (unsaturated hydrocarbons).</li></ul> <p>Important examples of low-molecular aliphatic compounds can be found in the list below (sorted by the number of carbon-atoms): </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Formula</th><th>Name</th><th>Structural formula</th><th>Chemical classification</th></tr><tr><td>CH4</td><td><a href="/facts/Methane/kBHneYnh">Methane</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr><tr><td>C2H2</td><td><a href="/facts/Acetylene/yaDh6cmJ">Acetylene</a></td><td></td><td>Alkyne</td></tr><tr><td>C2H4</td><td><a href="/facts/Ethylene/QMNBYLYn">Ethylene</a></td><td></td><td>Alkene</td></tr><tr><td>C2H6</td><td><a href="/facts/Ethane/BGCzc6yh">Ethane</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr><tr><td>C3H4</td><td><a href="/facts/Propadiene/AAMsUWlo">Propadiene</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Diene/F5NxrLPW">Diene</a></td></tr><tr><td>C3H4</td><td><a href="/facts/Propyne/GJpDzkBj">Propyne</a></td><td></td><td>Alkyne</td></tr><tr><td>C3H6</td><td><a href="/facts/Propylene/5eLDmPvm">Propylene</a></td><td></td><td>Alkene</td></tr><tr><td>C3H8</td><td><a href="/facts/Propane/E0b23KGh">Propane</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr><tr><td>C4H6</td><td><a href="/facts/1%2c2-Butadiene/7PfwBDs0">1,2-Butadiene</a></td><td></td><td>Diene</td></tr><tr><td>C4H6</td><td><a href="/facts/1-Butyne/44HXrY9W">1-Butyne</a></td><td></td><td>Alkyne</td></tr><tr><td>C4H8</td><td><a href="/facts/1-Butene/NRKPTAgQ">1-Butene</a></td><td></td><td>Alkene</td></tr><tr><td>C4H10</td><td><a href="/facts/Butane/InIHpYlY">Butane</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr><tr><td>C5H12</td><td><a href="/facts/Pentane/B5LzJ2zD">Pentane</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr><tr><td>C6H10</td><td><a href="/facts/Cyclohexene/EWIV90Fx">Cyclohexene</a></td><td></td><td>Cycloalkene</td></tr><tr><td>C6H12</td><td><a href="/facts/Cyclohexane/FDAW5j8v">Cyclohexane</a></td><td></td><td>Cycloalkane</td></tr><tr><td>C6H14</td><td><a href="/facts/Hexane/JxPecNPt">Hexane</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr><tr><td>C7H14</td><td><a href="/facts/Methylcyclohexane/0FjnADNH">Methylcyclohexane</a></td><td></td><td>Cycloalkane</td></tr><tr><td>C8H8</td><td><a href="/facts/Cubane/ryUtQ2BB">Cubane</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Prismanes/QgEPfB4D">Prismane</a>, <a href="/facts/Platonic_hydrocarbon/GIeNgMYG">Platonic hydrocarbon</a></td></tr><tr><td>C8H18</td><td><a href="/facts/Octane/3E91j6Fe">Octane</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr><tr><td>C10H12</td><td><a href="/facts/Dicyclopentadiene/vck23a49">Dicyclopentadiene</a></td><td></td><td>Diene, Cycloalkene</td></tr><tr><td>C10H16</td><td><a href="/facts/Terpinene/pwd4EfA1">Terpinene</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Terpene/hDD4zF6P">Terpene</a>, Diene, Cycloalkene</td></tr><tr><td>C10H16</td><td><a href="/facts/Phellandrene/Sm4IAK0t">Phellandrene</a></td><td></td><td>Terpene, Diene, Cycloalkene</td></tr><tr><td>C10H16</td><td><a href="/facts/Limonene/8qBaxvyv">Limonene</a></td><td></td><td>Terpene, Diene, Cycloalkene</td></tr><tr><td>C10H22</td><td><a href="/facts/Decane/nSWw4nVW">Decane</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr><tr><td>C30H50</td><td><a href="/facts/Squalene/Ua31mYv4">Squalene</a></td><td></td><td>Terpene, Polyene</td></tr><tr><td>C2<i>n</i>H4<i>n</i></td><td><a href="/facts/Polyethylene/LaaAf4cn">Polyethylene</a></td><td></td><td>Alkane</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (1995) "aliphatic compounds". doi:10.1351/goldbook.A00217 <a href="/wiki/International_Union_of_Pure_and_Applied_Chemistry" target="_blank">/wiki/International_Union_of_Pure_and_Applied_Chemistry</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>