ABSTRACT
Hydrocarbons are a class of organic compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms. There are four main types of hydrocarbons: alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and aromatic compounds, besides alkadienes and polyenes. Radical is a neutral molecule or atom with one or more unpaired electron. The nomenclature of akanes has two parts: prefix and suffix. The nomenclature of alkyl group derives from its corresponding alkane nomenclature changing “ane” suffix into “yl” suffix. Most radical reactions have three main steps: initiation, propagation, and the termination step. The nomenclature of some alkyl groups are related to the type of carbon atoms in their moieties. In chemistry, there are two distinguished reaction mechanisms: polar reaction and radical reaction. Alkyl radicals can be rationalized as alkane derivatives missing one hydrogen atom, yielding an unpaired electron in one carbon atom.
