Carbon of interconnecting carbon–carbon bonds, a property that is called catenation. Carbon-carbon bonds are strong and stable. Through catenation, carbon forms a countless number of compounds. A tally of unique compounds shows that more contain carbon that those that do not. A similar claim can be made for hydrogen because most organic compounds also contain hydrogen. The simplest form of an organic molecule is the hydrocarbon—a large family of organic molecules that are composed of hydrogen atoms bonded to a chain of carbon atoms. A hydrocarbon backbone can be substituted by other atoms, known as heteroatoms. Common heteroatoms that appear in
Carbon–hydrogen bond activation by a rhodium complex. In the case of alkanes, exclusive terminal functionalization was observed. Later, ruthenium catalysts were discovered to have higher activity and functional group compatibility. Other borylation catalysts have also been developed, including iridium-based catalysts, which successfully activate C-H bonds with high compatibility. For more information, consult borylation. No applications have been commercialized for homogeneously catalyzed C-H activations. Naturally occurring methane is not utilized as a chemical feedstock, despite its abundance and low cost. Current technology makes prodigious use of methane by steam reforming to produce syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This syngas is then