Aliphatic compound
In
chemistry,
aliphatic compounds are non-
aromatic organic compounds, in which
carbon atoms are joined together in straight or branched chains rather than in benzene rings. The simplest aliphatic compound is
methane (
CH4). Aliphatics include not only the
fatty acids and other derivatives of
paraffin hydrocarbons (
alkanes), but also unsaturated compounds, such as
ethylene (the
alkenes) and
acetylene (the
alkynes). The most frequently found non-carbon atoms bound to the carbon chain include
hydrogen,
oxygen,
nitrogen,
sulfur, and various
halides.
Alicyclic compounds such as
cycloalkanes are aliphatic compounds that have one or more
non-aromatic cycles in their chemical structure. Bicycloalkanes have two rings of carbon joined at one or two carbons.
Most aliphatic compounds have very exothermic combustion reactions, thus allowing hydrocarbons such as methane to fuel Bunsen burners in the laboratory, for example.
Image:Ethane.png|EthaneImage:Isobutane.png|IsobutaneImage:Acetylene.png|Acetylene*
Aromatic compound*
Carbon-carbon bond
