Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons with double bonds from "summary" of Organic Chemistry by John E. McMurry
Alkenes are a class of hydrocarbons that are characterized by the presence of at least one carbon-carbon double bond. This double bond is what distinguishes alkenes from alkanes, which are saturated hydrocarbons containing only single bonds. The double bond in alkenes consists of a sigma bond and a pi bond. The sigma bond is formed by the head-on overlap of two sp2 hybridized carbon atoms, while the pi bond is formed by the sideways overlap of p orbitals. This arrangement of bonds results in restricted rotation about the carbon-carbon double bond, giving alkenes a distinct geometry. Because of the presence of the double bond, alkenes are considered unsaturated hydrocarbons. This term "unsaturated" refers to the fact that alkenes have the potential to undergo additional reactions to add more atoms or groups to the molecule. This reactivity is in contrast to saturated hydrocarbons, which lack double bonds and are therefore less reactive. The general formula for alkenes is CnH2n, where "n" represents the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. This formula reflects the fact that for each carbon-carbon double bond, two hydrogen atoms are lost, leading to a decrease in the number of hydrogen atoms compared to an alkane with the same number of carbon atoms. Alkenes play a vital role in organic chemistry due to their reactivity and versatility. The carbon-carbon double bond can undergo a variety of reactions, including addition reactions, elimination reactions, and polymerization reactions. This reactivity makes alkenes valuable building blocks for the synthesis of a wide range of organic compounds.- The presence of a carbon-carbon double bond defines alkenes as unsaturated hydrocarbons with unique properties and reactivity. Understanding the structure and reactivity of alkenes is essential for mastering organic chemistry and exploring the diverse world of organic compounds.
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