Aliphatic

Name:
Aliphatic
Detailed information:
One of the major groups of organic compounds, characterized by straight- or branched-chain arrangement of the constituent carbon atoms. Aliphatic hydrocarbons comprise three subgroups: (1) paraffins (alkanes), all of which are saturated and comparatively unreactive, the branched-chain types being much more suitable for gasoline than the straight-chain; (2) olefins (alkenes or alkadienes), which are unsaturated and quite reactive; (3) acetylenes (alkynes), which contain a triple bond and are highly reactive. In complex structures, the chains may be branched or cross-linked.See Alicyclic; Aromatic; Chain.