acyclic diene

chemical compound

Also known as: acyclic dialkene, acyclic diolefin

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

An acyclic diene is an organic compound that contains two carbon-carbon double bonds and no rings. These compounds are a type of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon.12

Dienes are classified based on the arrangement of their double bonds:
* Cumulated dienes have a C=C=C unit.
* Conjugated dienes have a C=C-C=C unit.
* Isolated dienes have double bonds separated by more than one single bond.

Conjugated dienes are particularly important because they can undergo a Diels-Alder reaction, a type of cycloaddition that forms a six-membered ring. The simplest conjugated diene is 1,3-butadiene. Dicyclopentadiene is a liquid tricyclic hydrocarbon formed from cyclopentadiene.1345

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

8 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

olefin
…known as acyclic dialkenes, or acyclic dienes, with the general formula C_nH_2n_-2, contain two double bonds; they undergo reactions similar to the monoolefins. The best-known dienes are butadiene and isoprene, used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.
Read More
…known as acyclic dialkenes, or acyclic dienes, with the general formula C_nH_2n_-2, contain two double bonds; they undergo reactions similar to the monoolefins. The best-known dienes are butadiene and isoprene, used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.
Read More