Question:

Which compound is present in diesel?

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Cetane (hexadecane) → Diesel quality (cetane number).
Iso-octane → Petrol quality (octane number).
Diesel contains straight-chain alkanes; petrol contains branched alkanes.
Updated On: Apr 16, 2026
  • Cetane
  • TiCl\(_4\)
  • Cyclopentadienyl manganese carbonyl
  • Iso octane
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Concept: Diesel is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from the fractional distillation of crude oil. Its quality and combustion properties are measured by the cetane number.

Step 1:
Identify cetane. Cetane (also known as hexadecane, molecular formula \(C_{16}H_{34}\)) is a straight-chain alkane. It is a major component of diesel fuel and serves as the standard reference fuel for determining the cetane number of diesel. Cetane has excellent ignition properties (short ignition delay).

Step 2:
Check other options.
(B) TiCl\(_4\) — Titanium tetrachloride is an inorganic compound used as a catalyst in Ziegler-Natta polymerization and as a smoke-producing agent. It is not a component of diesel.
(C) Cyclopentadienyl manganese carbonyl — This is an organometallic compound. Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) is sometimes used as an additive in gasoline (petrol), not as a primary component of diesel.
(D) Iso octane — Iso-octane (2,2,4-trimethylpentane) is a branched-chain alkane. It is the standard reference fuel for petrol (gasoline) with an octane number of 100. It is not a significant component of diesel.

Step 3:
Conclusion. Cetane is a primary hydrocarbon component present in diesel fuel and is used as the reference for diesel ignition quality.
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