In
organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J.; ...
a diene ( ) (diolefin ( ) or alkadiene) is a
covalent compound
A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs. The stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms ...
that contains two
double bond
In chemistry, a double bond is a covalent bond between two atoms involving four bonding electrons as opposed to two in a single bond. Double bonds occur most commonly between two carbon atoms, for example in alkenes. Many double bonds exist betw ...
s, usually among
carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent
In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an element is the measure of its combining capacity with o ...
atoms.
They thus contain two
alk''ene'' units, with the standard prefix ''di'' of
systematic nomenclature
A chemical nomenclature is a set of rules to generate systematic names for chemical compounds. The nomenclature used most frequently worldwide is the one created and developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
The ...
. As a subunit of more complex molecules, dienes occur in naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals and are used in
organic synthesis
Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one o ...
.
Conjugated dienes are widely used as
monomer
In chemistry, a monomer ( ; ''mono-'', "one" + '' -mer'', "part") is a molecule that can react together with other monomer molecules to form a larger polymer chain or three-dimensional network in a process called polymerization.
Classification
Mo ...
s in the
polymer
A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part")
is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
industry.
Polyunsaturated fat
Polyunsaturated fats are fats in which the constituent hydrocarbon chain possesses two or more carbon–carbon double bonds. Polyunsaturated fat can be found mostly in nuts, seeds, fish, seed oils, and oysters. "Unsaturated" refers to the fact tha ...
s are of interest to
nutrition
Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient n ...
.
Classes
Dienes can be divided into three classes, depending on the relative location of the double bonds:
#Cumulated dienes have the double bonds sharing a common atom. The result is more specifically called an
allene
In organic chemistry, allenes are organic compounds in which one carbon atom has double bonds with each of its two adjacent carbon centres (). Allenes are classified as cumulated dienes. The parent compound of this class is propadiene, which ...
.
#Conjugated dienes have
conjugated double bonds separated by one single bond. Conjugated dienes are more stable than other dienes because of resonance.
#Unconjugated dienes have the double bonds separated by two or more single bonds. They are usually less stable than
isomer
In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formulae – that is, same number of atoms of each element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. Isomerism is existence or possibility of isomers.
Iso ...
ic conjugated dienes. This can also be known as an isolated diene.
According to the ''
Gold Book
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry publishes many books which contain its complete list of definitions. The definitions are divided into seven "colour books": Gold, Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, White, and Red. There is also an e ...
'' definition, a "diene" could include one or more
heteroatom
In chemistry, a heteroatom () is, strictly, any atom that is not carbon or hydrogen.
Organic chemistry
In practice, the term is usually used more specifically to indicate that non-carbon atoms have replaced carbon in the backbone of the molecula ...
s which replace unsaturated carbon atoms, giving structures that could more specifically be called ''heterodienes''.
Compounds that contain more than two double bonds are called
polyene
In organic chemistry, polyenes are poly- unsaturated, organic compounds that contain at least three alternating double () and single () carbon–carbon bonds. These carbon–carbon double bonds interact in a process known as conjugation, result ...
s. Polyenes and dienes share many properties.
Synthesis of dienes
On an industrial scale, butadiene is prepared by
thermal cracking
In petrochemistry, petroleum geology and organic chemistry, cracking is the process whereby complex organic molecules such as kerogens or long-chain hydrocarbons are broken down into simpler molecules such as light hydrocarbons, by the breaking of ...
of
butane
Butane () or ''n''-butane is an alkane with the formula C4H10. Butane is a gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Butane is a highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gas that quickly vaporizes at room temperature. The name but ...
s. In a similarly non-selective process,
dicyclopentadiene
Dicyclopentadiene, abbreviated DCPD, is a chemical compound with formula C10H12. At room temperature, it is a white brittle wax, although lower purity samples can be straw coloured liquids. The pure material smells somewhat of soy wax or camphor ...
is obtained from
coal tar
Coal tar is a thick dark liquid which is a by-product of the production of coke and coal gas from coal. It is a type of creosote. It has both medical and industrial uses. Medicinally it is a topical medication applied to skin to treat psoriasi ...
s.
In the laboratory, more directed and more delicate processes are employed such as
dehydrohalogenation
In chemistry, dehydrohalogenation is an elimination reaction which removes a hydrogen halide from a substrate. The reaction is usually associated with the synthesis of alkenes, but it has wider applications.
Dehydrohalogenation from alkyl halid ...
s and
condensations. Myriad
methods
Method ( grc, μέθοδος, methodos) literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In recent centuries it more often means a prescribed process for completing a task. It may refer to:
*Scien ...
have been developed, such as the
Whiting reaction
The Whiting reaction is an organic reaction converting a propargyl diol into a diene using lithium aluminium hydride.
This organic reduction has been applied in the synthesis of ''fecapentaene''.protecting groups are tetrahydropyranyl and TBSMS ...
. Families of nonconjugated dienes are derived from the
oligomerization
In chemistry and biochemistry, an oligomer () is a molecule that consists of a few repeating units which could be derived, actually or conceptually, from smaller molecules, monomers.Quote: ''Oligomer molecule: A molecule of intermediate relativ ...
and
dimerization of conjugated dienes. For example, 1,5-cyclooctadiene and vinylcyclohexene are produced by dimerization of
1,3-butadiene
1,3-Butadiene () is the organic compound with the formula (CH2=CH)2. It is a colorless gas that is easily condensed to a liquid. It is important industrially as a precursor to synthetic rubber. The molecule can be viewed as the union of two viny ...
.
Diene-containing
fatty acid
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, fr ...
s are
biosynthesized
Biosynthesis is a multi-step, enzyme-catalyzed process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms. In biosynthesis, simple compounds are modified, converted into other compounds, or joined to form macromolecules. ...
from
acetyl CoA
Acetyl-CoA (acetyl coenzyme A) is a molecule that participates in many biochemical reactions in protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Its main function is to deliver the acetyl group to the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) to be oxidized for ...
.
α,ω-Dienes have the formula (CH
2)
n(CH=CH
2)
2. They are prepared industrially by
ethenolysis
In organic chemistry, ethenolysis is a chemical process in which internal olefins are degraded using ethylene () as the reagent. The reaction is an example of cross metathesis. The utility of the reaction is driven by the low cost of ethylene ...
of cyclic dienes. For example,
1,5-hexadiene and 1,9-decadiene, useful crosslinking agents and synthetic intermediates, are produced from
1,5-cyclooctadiene
Cycloocta-1,5-diene is a cyclic hydrocarbon with the chemical formula , specifically .
There are three configurational isomers with this structure, that differ by the arrangement of the four C–C single bonds adjacent to the double bonds. Each ...
and
cyclooctene Cyclooctene is the cycloalkene with a formula . Its molecule has a ring of 8 carbon atoms, connected by seven single bonds and one double bond.
Cyclooctene is notable because it is the smallest cycloalkene that can exist stably as either the '' ...
, respectively. The catalyst is derived from Re
2O
7 on alumina.
Reactivity and uses
Polymerization
The most heavily practiced reaction of alkenes, dienes included, is
polymerization
In polymer chemistry, polymerization (American English), or polymerisation (British English), is a process of reacting monomer, monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks. There are ...
. 1,3-Butadiene is a precursor to
rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
used in tires, and
isoprene
Isoprene, or 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, is a common volatile organic compound with the formula CH2=C(CH3)−CH=CH2. In its pure form it is a colorless volatile liquid. Isoprene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon. It is produced by many plants and animals ...
is the precursor to
natural rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
.
Chloroprene
Chloroprene is the common name for 2-chlorobuta-1,3-diene (IUPAC name) with the chemical formula CH2=CCl−CH=CH2. Chloroprene is a colorless volatile liquid, almost exclusively used as a monomer for the production of the polymer polychloroprene, ...
is related but it is a synthetic monomer.
Cycloadditions
An important reaction for conjugated dienes is the
Diels–Alder reaction
In organic chemistry, the Diels–Alder reaction is a chemical reaction between a conjugated diene and a substituted alkene, commonly termed the dienophile, to form a substituted cyclohexene derivative. It is the prototypical example of a peric ...
. Many specialized dienes have been developed to exploit this reactivity for the synthesis of
natural product
A natural product is a natural compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life. Natural products can also be prepared by chemical syn ...
s (e.g.,
Danishefsky's diene).
Other addition reactions
Conjugated dienes add reagents such as
bromine
Bromine is a chemical element with the symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is the third-lightest element in group 17 of the periodic table (halogens) and is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a simila ...
and
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...
by both 1,2-addition and 1,4-addition pathways. Addition of polar reagents can generate complex architectures:
::
Metathesis reactions
Nonconjugated dienes are substrates for
ring-closing metathesis
Ring-closing metathesis (RCM) is a widely used variation of olefin metathesis in organic chemistry for the synthesis of various unsaturated rings via the intramolecular metathesis of two terminal alkenes, which forms the cycloalkene as the ''E-' ...
reactions. These reactions require a metal
catalyst
Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
:
::
Acidity
The position adjacent to a double bond is
acid
In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...
ic because the resulting
allyl
In organic chemistry, an allyl group is a substituent with the structural formula , where R is the rest of the molecule. It consists of a methylene bridge () attached to a vinyl group (). The name is derived from the scientific name for garlic, ...
anion is stabilized by resonance. This effect becomes more pronounced as more alkenes are involved to create greater stability. For example, deprotonation at position 3 of a 1,4-diene or position 5 of a 1,3-diene give a
pentadienyl
In organic chemistry, pentadienyl refers to the organic radical, anion, or cation with the formula , where ''z'' = 0, −1, +1, respectively.
Organometallic chemistry
In organometallic chemistry, the pentadienyl anion is a ligand, the acyclic ana ...
anion. An even greater effect is seen if the anion is aromatic, for example, deprotonation of
cyclopentadiene to give the
cyclopentadienyl anion
In chemistry, the cyclopentadienyl anion or cyclopentadienide is an aromatic species with a formula of and abbreviated as Cp−. It is formed from the deprotonation of the molecule cyclopentadiene.
Properties
The cyclopentadienyl anion i ...
.
As ligands
Dienes are widely used chelating
ligand
In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule (functional group) that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electr ...
s in
organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and so ...
. In some cases they serve as placeholder ligands, being removed during a catalytic cycle. For example, the cyclooctadiene ("cod") ligands in
bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel(0) are labile. In some cases, dienes are spectator ligands, remaining coordinated throughout a catalytic cycle and influencing the product distributions.
Chiral
Chirality is a property of asymmetry important in several branches of science. The word ''chirality'' is derived from the Greek (''kheir''), "hand", a familiar chiral object.
An object or a system is ''chiral'' if it is distinguishable from ...
dienes have also been described.
[Ryo Shintani, Tamio Hayashi, "Chiral Diene Ligands for Asymmetric Catalysis" Aldrich Chimica Acta 2009, vol. 42, number 2, pp. 31-38.] Other diene complexes include
(butadiene)iron tricarbonyl
(Butadiene)iron tricarbonyl is an organoiron compound with the formula (CH)Fe(CO). It is a well-studied metal complex of butadiene. An orange-colored viscous liquid that freezes just below room temperature, the compound adopts a piano stool struc ...
,
cyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl
Cyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl is an organoiron compound with the formula Fe(C4H4)(CO)3. It is a yellow solid that is soluble in organic solvents. It has been used in organic chemistry as a precursor for cyclobutadiene, which is an elusive specie ...
, and
cyclooctadiene rhodium chloride dimer
Cyclooctadiene rhodium chloride dimer is the organorhodium compound with the formula Rh2Cl2(C8H12)2, commonly abbreviated hCl(COD) HCL may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Hairy cell leukemia, an uncommon and slowly progressing B cell leukemia
* Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory, from 1961 to 2002, a proton accelerator used for research and development
* Hollow-cathode lamp, a sp ...
or Rh2Cl2(COD)2. This yellow-orange, air-stable compound is a widely used precursor to homogeneous catalysis, h ...
.
References
{{Hydrocarbons
Diene