Iceane is a saturated polycyclic

hydrocarbon In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic, and their odors are usually weak or ...

with formula C₁₂H₁₈. It has a cage-like

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioch ...

structure, whose

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon makes ...

skeleton can be viewed as three fused

cyclohexane Cyclohexane is a cycloalkane with the molecular formula . Cyclohexane is non-polar. Cyclohexane is a colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive detergent-like odor, reminiscent of cleaning products (in which it is sometimes used). Cyclohex ...

rings in the

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on i ...

conformation; or as two such rings in the

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vari ...

conformation, connected by three parallel (axial) bonds. The spatial arrangement of carbon atoms in Iceane is the lonsdalite crystalline structure. The name "iceane" was proposed by the chemist Louis Fieser about a decade before the compound was first prepared. He was carrying out studies on the arrangement of

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

molecules in

ice Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...

, when it occurred to him that there could exist a stable hydrocarbon with the above structure. It is also referred to as wurtzitane, due to its similarity to the

wurtzite crystal structure In crystallography, the hexagonal crystal family is one of the six crystal families, which includes two crystal systems (hexagonal and trigonal) and two lattice systems (hexagonal and rhombohedral). While commonly confused, the trigonal crystal ...

; however, the name "iceane" has precedence.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Royal Society of Chemistry Journal''Symmetry Through the Eyes of a Chemist'', Magdolna Hargittai ''A Basis for Synthesis Design'', Tse-Lok Ho''Structures and Energies of Polycyclic Hydrocarbons'', Joan E. Shields
Polycyclic nonaromatic hydrocarbons

See also

References

External links