Organic chemistry

Chemistry Level 2

What is the degree of unsaturation (DU) in cubane?


The answer is 5.

Sahil Patel by Sahil Patel , 21, India

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3 solutions

Akhil Bansal
Dec 5, 2015

Molecular Formula of Cubane is C 8 H 8 C_8H_8

Formula to calculate degree of saturation(DU) = ( C + 1 ) − H + X − N 2 (C+ 1 ) - \dfrac{H + X - N }{2}

where C = carbon atoms, H = hydrogen atoms , X = halogen atoms, N = nitrogen atoms.

D U = ( 8 + 1 ) − ( 8 + 0 − 0 ) 2 = 5 DU = (8+1) - \dfrac{(8+0-0)}{2} = 5

7 Helpful 0 Interesting 0 Brilliant 0 Confused

Nice question. Also in MS Chauhan

Md Zuhair - 3 years, 4 months ago

You could also do like this,

No of hydrogen in corresponding alkane of 8 atoms = 18.

D.U = C h a n g e i n n u m b e r o f H 2 \frac{ Change in number of H }{2}

A Former Brilliant Member - 5 years, 6 months ago

Think of it this way: The degree of unsaturation is the same with the minimum number of bonds to break in order for cubane to become an open chain (hence completely saturated). Cubane is a pentacycloalkane, which also means at least five bonds are to be broken in order to become an open chain. This is why cubane's degree of unsaturation is 5.

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Anurag Pandey
Aug 1, 2016

For a 3D structure degree of unsaturation is usually total no. of sides - 1

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