Question

17.      One of the main components of lemongrass oil is a compound with molecular formula C10H16.

When this compound is treated with excess hydrogen and a platinum catalyst, the product is an alkane of formula C10H20.

What can you conclude about the structure of C10H16? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Answer:

According to the formula of parent hydrocarbon C_nH_2n+2, compound with molecular formula C₁₀H₁₆ present in the lemongrass oil represent the presence of three degree of unsaturation. When this compound on treatment with excess of hydrogen and platinum catalyst gives the product alkane of formula C₁₀H₂₀. This indicate the that the complete reduction or hydrogenation of given compound required the two molecules of hydrogen. This shows that the compound with molecular formula C₁₀H₁₆ has two carbon-carbon double bonds in its structure. The two carbon-carbon double bond represent the two degree unsaturation out of the three degree of unsaturation and remaining one degree of unsaturation indicate the presence of cyclic structure.

Therefore, the compound with molecular formula C₁₀H₁₆ present in the lemongrass oil has cyclic structure with two carbon-carbon double bond in its structure.