Definition of "alkane"

Whereas production levels of short-chain alkanes in plants are insufficient to provide an economically viable fuel source, the genes encoding the alkane biosynthetic pathway may provide a biotechnological resource for engineering fermentation organisms with the capacity to convert biomass to an alkane-based fuel.

1997, T. J. Savage, M. K. Hristova, R. Croteau, “Biochemistry of Short-Chain Alkanes: Evidence for an Elongation/Reduction/C1-Elimination Pathway”, in John Peter Williams, Mobashsher Uddin Khan, Nora Wan Lem, editors, Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Lipids, Kluwer Academic Publishers, page 51

The oxidation of the simplest alkane methanol is carried out by methylotrophs that may be obligate or facultative.

2007, Alasdair H. Neilson, Ann-Sofie Allard, Environmental Degradation and Transformation of Organic Chemicals‎, Taylor & Francis (CRC Press), page 103

Alkanes are extremely unreactive toward nucleophiles and electrophiles because they are composed of nonpolar, strong, saturated C–H and C-C bonds.

2012, Chulsung Bae, Chapter 3: Catalytic Carbon-Boron Bond Formation via Activation of Alkane C-H Bonds, Pedro J. Pérez, Alkane C-H Activation by Single-Site Metal Catalysis, Springer, page 73