Heptadecane is an organic compound, an alkane hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C<sub>17</sub>H<sub>36</sub>. The name may refer to any of 24894 theoretically possible structural isomers, or to a mixture thereof.
The unbranched isomer is normal or n-heptadecane, CH<sub>3</sub>(CH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>15</sub>CH<sub>3</sub>. In the IUPAC nomenclature, the name of this compound is simply heptadecane, since the other isomers are viewed and named as alkyl-substituted versions of smaller alkanes.
The most compact and branched isomer would be tetra-tert-butylmethane, but its existence is believed to be impossible due to steric hindrance. Indeed, it is believed to be the smallest "impossible" alkane.