Eicosane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Eicosane | |
|---|---|
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| IUPAC name | Icosane |
| Other names | Didecyl n-Eicosane |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [112-95-8] |
| PubChem | |
| EINECS number | |
| SMILES | CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C20H42 |
| Molar mass | 282.5475 g/mol |
| Appearance | Colorless crystals or wax-like solid |
| Melting point |
36.7 °C, 310 K, 98 °F |
| Boiling point |
342.7 °C, 616 K, 649 °F |
| Solubility in water | Insoluble |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references |
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Eicosane (also known by the IUPAC name icosane or as didecyl) is an alkane hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C20H42. It has 366,319 constitutional isomers.
Eicosane has little use in the petrochemical industry, as its high flash point makes it an inefficient fuel. Due to its chemical inactivity, n-eicosane (the straight-chain structural isomer of eicosane) is part of the paraffin group, and is the shortest molecule in the compounds used to form candles.
Eicosane's size, state or chemical inactivity does not exclude it from the traits its smaller alkane counterparts have. It is a colorless, less dense than water, non-polar molecule, nearly non-reactive unless combusted, and insoluble in water. Its non-polar trait means it can only perform weak hydrogen intermolecular bonding (hydrophobic/van der Waal's forces).
Eicosane's phase transition at a moderate temperature makes it a candidate phase change material, or PCM which can be used to store thermal energy and control temperature.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Eicosane at Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
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