Cycloalkanes Cyclohexanes, Cyclopentanes

Cracking and disproportionation in the reaction of hexane could be suppressed by the addition of cycloalkanes (cyclohexane, methylcyclopentane, cyclopentane).101 Furthermore, 3-methylpentane and methylcyclopentane also reduced the induction period. These data indicate that reactions are initiated by an oxidative formation of alkene intermediates. These maybe transformed into alkenyl cations, which undergo cracking and disproportionation. When there is intensive contact between the phases ensuring effective hydride transfer, protonated alkenes give isomerization products. 

If chair cyclohexane is, conformationally speaking, the perfect specimen of a cycloalkane, planar cyclopentane (Fig. 9.6) must certainly be the poorest there is... 

Cyclopentane and cyclohexane are present m petroleum but as a rule unsubsti tuted cycloalkanes are rarely found m natural sources Compounds that contain rings of various types however are quite abundant... 

The name naphthenic acid is derived from the early discovery of monobasic carboxyUc acids in petroleum, with these acids being based on a saturated single-ring stmcture. The low molecular weight naphthenic acids contain alkylated cyclopentane carboxyUc acids, with smaller amounts of cyclohexane derivatives occurring. The carboxyl group is usually attached to a side chain rather than direcdy attached to the cycloalkane. The simplest naphthenic acid is cyclopentane acetic acid [1123-00-8] (1, n = 1). 

In addition to the ahphatic (chain) molecules, the saturates contain cycloalkanes, called naphthenes, having mainly five or six carbons in the ring (Fig. 5). Methyl derivatives of cyclopentane and cyclohexane ate commonly found in greater quantity than the parent unsubstituted stmctures and can be present at levels above 2% (2). Fused-ting dicycloalkanes such as decahydronaphthalenes (decalins) and hexahydroindans are also common, but nonfused bicyhc naphthenes, eg, cyclohexyl cyclohexane, are not. 

Physical properties of cycloalkanes [49, p. 284 50, p. 31] show reasonably gradual changes, but unlike most homologous series, different members exhibit different degrees of chemical reactivity. For example, cyclohexane is the least reactive member in this family, whereas both cyclopropane and cyclobutane are more reactive than cyclopentane. Thus, hydrocarbons containing cyclopentane and cyclohexane rings are quite abundant in nature. 

The data in Figure 4.3 show that Baeyer s theory is only partially correct. Cyclopropane and cyclobutane are indeed strained, just as predicted, but cyclopentane is more strained than predicted, and cyclohexane is strain-free. Cycloalkanes of intermediate size have only modest strain, and rings of 14 carbons or more are strain-free. Why is Baeyer s theory wrong ... 

Petroleum contains hydrocarbons other than the open-chain alkanes considered to this point. These include cycloalkanes in which 3 to 30 CH2 groups are bonded into closed rings. The structures of the two most common hydrocarbons of this type are shown in Figure 22.5 (p. 585). Cyclopentane and cyclohexane, where the bond angles are close to the ideal tetrahedral angle of 109.5°, are stable liquids with boiling points of 49°C and 81°C, respectively. 

Cycloalkanes. Cyclopentane and cyclohexane, the two most common cycloalkanes. 

A conformational effect was detected for the H-transfer reactions from cycloalkanes to a series of attacking radicals. The data of Table 6 show that cyclopentane is generally a better H-donor than cyclohexane. The rate ratio is generally largest for the least reactive radicals because the change in hybridization at transition state... 

In a similar way the potential constant method as described here allows the simultaneous vibrational analysis of systems which differ in other strain factors. Furthermore, conformations and enthalpies (and other properties see Section 6.5. for examples) may be calculated with the same force field. For instance, vibrational, conformational, and energetic properties of cyclopentane, cyclohexane and cyclodecane can be analysed simultaneously with a single common force field, despite the fact that these cycloalkanes involve different distributions of angle and torsional strain, and of nonbonded interactions 8, 17). This is not possible by means of conventional vibrational spectroscopic calculations. 

Cycloalkanes or cycloparaffins (also called naphthenes). These constituents are characterized by the presence of simple closed rings of carbon atoms (such as the cyclopentane ring or the cyclohexane ring). Naphthenes are generally stable and relatively insoluble in water. 

Figure 3.8 Conversion with time in the hydrogenolysis of cycloalkanes (19Torr, 14.5 equiv.) catalyzed by (=SiO)2TaH (3) at 160°C under hydrogen (470Torr) cycloheptane ( ), methylcyclohexane ( ), cyclohexane ( ), methylcyclopentane (A) and cyclopentane (x).

Cycloalkanes. Cycloalkanes are conformationally restricted alkanes. Three rings are employed in drug design cyclopropane, cyclopentane, cyclohexane (the latter two are... 

Problem 9.5 (a) Calculate AH of combustion per CHj unit for the first four cycloalkanes, given the following AH s of combustion, in kJ/mol cyclopropane, -2091 cyclobutane, -2744 cyclopentane, -3320 cyclohexane, -3952. (b) Write (i) the thermochemical equation for the combustion of cyclopropane and (ii) the theoretical equation for the combustion of a CH unit of any given ring, (c) How do ring stability and ring size correlate for the first four cycloalkanes ... 

Cycloalkanes of ring sizes ranging from three to 30 are found in nature. Compounds containing five-membered rings (cyclopentane) and six-membered rings (cyclohexane) are especially common. 

When cycloalkanes (cyclopentane, cyclohexane) alkylate benzene, cycloalkylben-zenes, as well as bicyclic compounds (indan and tetralin derivatives) and products of destructive alkylation, are formed.191192 Cyclohexane reacts with the highest selectivity in the presence of HF—SbF5 to yield 79% cyclohexylbenzene and 20—21% isomeric methylcyclopentylbenzenes.191... 

Hydrogenative ring opening of cycloalkanes is also a well-studied area.16 252 253 289-292 Mainly cyclopropanes and cyclopentanes were studied, since three- and five-membered adsorbed carbocyclic species are believed to be intermediates in metal-catalyzed isomerization of alkanes (see Section 4.3.1). Ring-opening reactivity of different ring systems decreases in the order cyclopropane > cyclobutane > cyclopentane > cyclohexane.251 Cyclopropane and its substituted derivatives usually react below 100°C. 

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