Alkenes Flashcards
What are alkenes?
- Unsaturated hydrocarbons containing a C=C comprising a pi bond and a sigma bond
- Restricted rotation of the pi bond
What is a pi bond?
- A pi bond is formed by the sideways overlap of two p-orbitals, one from each carbon atom of the double bond
- Each carbon atom contributes one electron to the electron pair in the pi bond
- The pi electron density is concentrated above and below the line joining the nuclei of the bonding atoms
What is the shape of an alkene?
- The shape around each of the carbon atoms in the double bond is trigonal planar because:
1. There are three regions of electron density around each of the carbon atoms
2. The three regions repel each other as far apart as possible, so the bond angle around each carbon atom is 120 degrees
3. All of the atoms are in the same plane
What are stereoisomers?
-Compounds with the same structural formula but with a different arrangement in space
What is E/Z isomerism? Why does it happen?
- An example of stereoisomerism, in terms of restricted rotation about a double bond and the requirement for two different groups to be attached to each carbon atom of the C=C group
- Only occurs in compounds with a C=C double bond
- Arises because rotation about the double bond is restricted and the groups attached to each carbon atom are therefore fixed relative to each other
- The reason for the rigidity is the position of the pi bond’s electron density above and below the plane of the sigma bond
What is cis-trans isomerism?
- A special case of E/Z isomerism in which two of the substituent groups attached to each carbon atom of the C=C group are the same
- In cis-trans isomers one of the attached groups one aha carbon atoms of the double bond must be hydrogen
When is it E/Z isomerism?
- A C=C double bond
2. Different groups attached to each carbon atoms of the double bond
When is it cis-trans isomerism?
- The cis isomer has the hydrogen atoms on each carbon in the double bond on the same side of the molecule (Z)
- The trans isomer has the hydrogen atoms diagonally opposite each other (E)
- BUT the use of E equivalent to trans and Z as equivalent to cis is only consistently correct when there is an H on each carbon atoms of the C=C bond
How do you use the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules?
- In this system the atoms attached to each carbon atom in a double bond are given a priority based Upton their atomic number
1. If the groups of higher priority are on the same side of the double bond, the compound is the Z isomer
2. If the groups of higher priority are diagonally placed across the double bond, the compound is the E isomer
How do you assign priority?
- Examine the atoms attached directly to the carbon atoms of the double bond and decide which of the two atoms has the highest priority. The higher the atomic number, the higher the priority
- If the two atoms attached to a carbon atom in the double bond are the same, then you will need to find the first point of difference. The group which has the higher atomic number at the firta point of difference is given the higher priority
Are alkenes more reactive than alkanes?
- Yes because of the relatively low bond enthalpy of the pi bond, the pi bond is weaker than the sigma bond and is therefore broken more readily
- The C=C bond is made up of a sigma bond and a pi bond, and the electron density is concentrated above and below the plane of the sigma bond
- Being on the outside of the double bond , the pi electrons are more exposed than the electrons in the sigma bond
- A pi bond reality breaks and alkenes undergo addition reactions relatively easily
What sort of reaction is alkene and hydrogen? What are the conditions?
- Hydrogenation of alkene (ADDITION)
- Ni catalyst
- Makes alkanes
What sort of reaction is alkene and halogen? What are the conditions?
- Halogenation of alkene (ADDITION)
- Chlorine and bromine at room temperature
- Forms dihaloalkanes
How do you test for unsaturation?
- Alkene and bromine water
- When bromine water (orange solution) is added drowse to a sample of an alkene, bromine adds across the double bond
- The orange colour disappears (C=C bond decoloruises bromine water)
- Addition reaction
What sort of reaction is alkene and hydrogen halide? What are the conditions?
- Addition
- React with gaseous hydrogen halides at room temperature to from haloalkanes
- If alkene is a gas, like ethene then the reaction takes place when the two gases are mixed
- If the alkene is a liquid, then the hydrogen halide is bubbled through
- Two possible products
What sort of reaction is alkene and steam? What are the conditions?
- Hydration reaction with alkenes (ADDITION)
- Alcohols are formed when alkenes react with steam in the presence of phosphoric acid catalyst H3PO4
- Steam adds across the double bond, and this addition reaction is sued widely in industry to produce ethanol from ethene
- Two possible products
What is an electrophile?
An atom (or group of atoms) which is started to an electron-rich centre or atoms, where it accepts a pair of electrons to form a new covalent bond (an electron pair accepter
What is a polymer?
A large molecule formed from many thousands of repeat units of smaller molecules known as monomers