cyclohexane

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cyclohexane

chemical compound

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June 29, 2026

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Cyclohexane is a pungent, saturated cyclic hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C₆H₁₂. It is found in petroleum and can also be synthesized. Cyclohexane is primarily used as a solvent and in organic synthesis.1

Cycloalkanes are saturated hydrocarbons that form a ring structure. Cyclohexane is the most studied and important example of a cycloalkane. Unlike smaller cycloalkanes, cyclohexane is not planar and adopts a stable "chair" conformation to minimize strain. This conformational analysis is crucial for understanding not only hydrocarbons but also biologically important molecules like steroids and carbohydrates.2

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hydrocarbon
Cycloalkanes
…is the smallest cycloalkane, whereas cyclohexane (C₆H₁₂) is the most studied, best understood, and most important. It is customary to represent cycloalkane rings as polygons, with the understanding that each corner corresponds to a carbon atom to which is attached the requisite number of hydrogen atoms to bring its total…
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…is the smallest cycloalkane, whereas cyclohexane (C₆H₁₂) is the most studied, best understood, and most important. It is customary to represent cycloalkane rings as polygons, with the understanding that each corner corresponds to a carbon atom to which is attached the requisite number of hydrogen atoms to bring its total…
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isomerism
Conformational isomers
…of the ring compounds is cyclohexane (C₆H₁₂), shown here with cyclopropane (C₃H₆).
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…of the ring compounds is cyclohexane (C₆H₁₂), shown here with cyclopropane (C₃H₆).
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isoprenoid
Structural features of isoprenoids
…compound possessing this structure is cyclohexane (not an isoprenoid), represented by structural formula 1, by a condensed version 2, or simply by the hexagon 3. In compounds of this kind, the six ring atoms are not coplanar, but the ring usually is puckered, as shown in 4 and 5.
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…compound possessing this structure is cyclohexane (not an isoprenoid), represented by structural formula 1, by a condensed version 2, or simply by the hexagon 3. In compounds of this kind, the six ring atoms are not coplanar, but the ring usually is puckered, as shown in 4 and 5.
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chemical compound
Carbon bonding
…arrangement, as in the hydrocarbon cyclohexane, C₆H₁₂. Such ring structures are often very simply represented as regular polygons in which each apex represents a carbon atom, and the hydrogen atoms that complete the bonding requirements of the carbon atoms are not shown. The polygon convention for cyclic structures reveals concisely…
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…arrangement, as in the hydrocarbon cyclohexane, C₆H₁₂. Such ring structures are often very simply represented as regular polygons in which each apex represents a carbon atom, and the hydrogen atoms that complete the bonding requirements of the carbon atoms are not shown. The polygon convention for cyclic structures reveals concisely…
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