MOLECULE

Undecane

Undecane, also known as CH3-[CH2]9-CH3 or n-undecane, an 11-carbon molecule, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as alkanes. These are acyclic branched or unbranched hydrocarbons having the general formula CnH2n+2, and consist entirely of hydrogen atoms and saturated carbon atoms. Undecane has 159 isomers. Undecane is a hydrocarbon lipid molecule. It is very hydrophobic, practically insoluble in water and relatively neutral. Undecane has been detected in lime, cardamoms, oregano and allspice plants, dill leaf, and oil from black walnut, carrot leaf and coriander leaf (http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1040461.html#tooccur). Undodecane is also found in Cannabis plants (PMID: 6991645). Undecane is a constituent of cannabis smoke and is volatilized during the combustion of cannabis (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-947-9_2). Undecane may also be used as an internal standard in gas chromatography when working with other hydrocarbons. For example, when working with a 50 m crosslinked methyl silicone capillary column with an oven temperature increasing slowly, beginning around 60 °C, an 11-carbon molecule like undecane may be used as an internal standard to be compared with the retention times of other 10-, 11-, or 12- carbon molecules, depending on their structures. It is used as a mild sex attractant for various types of moths and cockroaches, and an alert signal for a variety of ants ( PMID: 29350346).