Skip to main content
Chemistry LibreTexts

Reactivity of Alkanes and Alkenes

  • Page ID
    3033
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Chemical Concepts Demonstrated

    • Relative organic reactivity
    • Bromination of alkenes

    Demonstration

    Two sets of crystallizing dishes are filled with each of the following:
    • cycloalkane
    • alkane
    • benzene
    • styrene

    Bromine in dichloromethane solution is added to the first set, and potassium permanganate is added to the second.

    alkane.gif

    Observations and Explanations

    When the bromine is added, the styrene reacts very quickly because of the phenyl group. The benzene does not react. The alkanes do not react either, although prolonged exposure to an overhead projector will provoke a bromination. It should be noted that alkenes and alkynes react with bromine to form dibromides.

    When the potassium permanganate is added, styrene and benzene are oxidized. Alkenes are oxidized to diols and alkynes are oxidized to diones. The alkanes in this situation do not react with the potassium permanganate.

    Contributors


    Reactivity of Alkanes and Alkenes is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by George Bodner.

    • Was this article helpful?