considerable research has been published focusing on environmental application
using carbon-based nanomaterials. An overview of current research is on carbonbased nanomaterials for their use in application of removal of hydrocarbons in
environment.
9.2
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are simplest class of an organic chemical compound composed of
carbon and hydrogen atoms. Hydrocarbons occur naturally throughout the world and
are principal constituents of crude oil, natural gas, and other important energy
sources (Al-anzi and Siang 2017; Osin et al. 2017). In our day to day life, they are
used as fuels, lubricants, and raw materials for the production of paints, plastic,
solvents, and industrial chemicals (Abdel-Shafy and Mansour 2016). They make
good fuels because their covalent bonds store a large amount of energy, which is
released when the molecules are burned to form carbon dioxide and water. Even
though they are composed of only two types of atoms, due to carbon’s unique
bonding patterns there is a wide variety of hydrocarbons with single, double, or
triple bonds between the carbon atoms. The bonding of hydrocarbons allows them to
form open chains and rings. Hydrocarbons can be classified into two main
categories, namely aliphatics and aromatics (Fig. 9.1).
9.2.1 Aliphatic Hydrocarbons
Based upon structure and bonding of carbon skeleton, aliphatic hydrocarbons can be
categorized into four groups: alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, and alkyne.
Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons which mean that compounds consist entirely
of single bonds, so that each carbon atom forms four single bonds with the H and
other C atoms. They can be described by the formula C n H 2n + 2 . Examples of
compounds in this group are hexane, heptane, octane, and decane.
Cycloalkanes: Cycloalkanes are also saturated hydrocarbons where carbon atoms
are connected in a ring through single bonds.
Hydrocarbons
Aromatics
Aliphatics
Polyaromatics
Monoaromatics
Alkynes
Alkenes
Cycloalkanes
Alkanes
Fig. 9.1 Classification of hydrocarbons
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A. Singh et al.
using carbon-based nanomaterials. An overview of current research is on carbonbased nanomaterials for their use in application of removal of hydrocarbons in
environment.
9.2
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are simplest class of an organic chemical compound composed of
carbon and hydrogen atoms. Hydrocarbons occur naturally throughout the world and
are principal constituents of crude oil, natural gas, and other important energy
sources (Al-anzi and Siang 2017; Osin et al. 2017). In our day to day life, they are
used as fuels, lubricants, and raw materials for the production of paints, plastic,
solvents, and industrial chemicals (Abdel-Shafy and Mansour 2016). They make
good fuels because their covalent bonds store a large amount of energy, which is
released when the molecules are burned to form carbon dioxide and water. Even
though they are composed of only two types of atoms, due to carbon’s unique
bonding patterns there is a wide variety of hydrocarbons with single, double, or
triple bonds between the carbon atoms. The bonding of hydrocarbons allows them to
form open chains and rings. Hydrocarbons can be classified into two main
categories, namely aliphatics and aromatics (Fig. 9.1).
9.2.1 Aliphatic Hydrocarbons
Based upon structure and bonding of carbon skeleton, aliphatic hydrocarbons can be
categorized into four groups: alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, and alkyne.
Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons which mean that compounds consist entirely
of single bonds, so that each carbon atom forms four single bonds with the H and
other C atoms. They can be described by the formula C n H 2n + 2 . Examples of
compounds in this group are hexane, heptane, octane, and decane.
Cycloalkanes: Cycloalkanes are also saturated hydrocarbons where carbon atoms
are connected in a ring through single bonds.
Hydrocarbons
Aromatics
Aliphatics
Polyaromatics
Monoaromatics
Alkynes
Alkenes
Cycloalkanes
Alkanes
Fig. 9.1 Classification of hydrocarbons
208
A. Singh et al.