Which type of hydrocarbon contains only single carbon to carbon bonds?

Saturated hydrocarbons are defined by the presence of only single carbon-to-carbon bonds in their structure. This means that every carbon atom in a saturated hydrocarbon is connected by single bonds to other carbon atoms, allowing the maximum number of hydrogen atoms to bond with carbon. Examples of saturated hydrocarbons include alkanes, such as methane, ethane, and propane.

In contrast, unsaturated hydrocarbons contain one or more double or triple bonds between carbon atoms, which leads to fewer hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon skeleton. Cyclic hydrocarbons refer to compounds that form a ring structure; they can be either saturated or unsaturated. Aromatic hydrocarbons, like benzene, contain resonance and specific delocalized pi electrons in a ring structure that introduces unsaturation. Each of these categories has distinctive properties and structures, but only saturated hydrocarbons feature solely single carbon-to-carbon bonds.