Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
PARAFFINS: CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
T
YPES
OF
CARBON
ATOMS
H
H
H
H
H
H
CH
C
C
C
CH
C
C
C
H
H
H
H
primary
secondary
tertiary
quaternary
(1°)
(2°)
(3°)
(4°)
1
°
2
°
3
°
1
°
CH
3
CH
2
CCl(CH
3
)
2
CH
3
CHClCH(CH
3
)
2
+ 3HCl
CH
2
ClCH
2
CH(CH
3
)
2
Cl
2
3
CH
3
CH
2
CH(CH
3
)
2
isopentane
In most paraffins there will be different numbers of hydrogens attached to
the carbon atoms. There are four types of carbon atoms with names corre-
sponding to the number of bonds made with other carbon atoms or functional
groups. These names are primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary, as
shown above. In a compound such as isopentane, there are three primary
carbon atoms, one secondary, and one tertiary.
Chlorine reacts with a hydrocarbon by substituting for one or more
hydrogens. The easiest hydrogen to remove in this manner is from a tertiary
carbon, next a secondary, and the least readily from a primary carbon. Where
more than one type of carbon is present, as in isopentane, a mixture of
compounds containing chlorine will be produced.
