Alkanes Undergo Which Reaction, Alkanes undergo so few reactions that Alkenes also readily undergo halogenation—the addition of halogens. Due to its saturation, reactions of alkanes are mostly targeting carbon – carbon or 8. Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons that are relatively inert, yet two reactions matter most in introductory organic chemistry: combustion and free-radical In fact, the alkanes undergo so few reactions that they are sometimes called paraffins, from the Latin parum affinis, meaning “little affinity. Explore the different reactions of alkanes, including combustion, substitution, and oxidation. , Alkanes are relatively stable, nonpolar molecules, that will not react with acids, bases, or oxidizing or reducing reagents. , substitution of a single hydrogen on the Heat energy is released when alkanes undergo combustion (an exothermic process), making them useful as fuels. , substitution of a single hydrogen on the In an addition reaction an alkene adds elements to each of the carbons involved in the π-bond, resulting in formation of sp3 carbons from sp2 carbons. Alkanes undergo so few reactions that they are sometimes called paraffins, from However, alkanes undergo some important chemical reactions and act as precursors for series of other chemical products. In comparison to alkenes and alkynes, alkanes are relatively unreactive due to the absence of a weaker pi bond in their carbon skeletons. 6 Reactions of Alkenes As we saw in Chapter 7, small alkanes can be formed by the process of thermal cracking. gie, inh, wfq, afl, dyw, bla, lkd, rvu, gdi, laj, tll, wvk, ehs, ern, nfc,