Carbon bonding electrons

The main structural feature, which is responsible for the distinctive chemical properties of the benzene-like aromatic compounds, is the six-carbon benzene ring. Figure 12.10a illustrates smearing of some of the carbon-carbon bonding electrons above and below the plane of the ring. In other words, all the carbon-carbon bonds are equivalent and benzene is a planar molecule. The even distribution of electrons around the ring makes benzene and other aromatic compounds less reactive than alkenes. Benzene can be represented equally well by... 

Correlations have been found between certain absorption patterns in the infrared and the concentrations of aromatic and paraffinic carbons given by the ndA/method (see article 3.1.3.). The absorptions at 1600 cm due to vibrations of valence electrons in carbon-carbon bonds in aromatic rings and at 720 cm (see the spectrum in Figure 3.8) due to paraffinic chain deformations are directly related to the aromatic and paraffinic carbon concentrations, respectively. )... 

Unlike the forces between ions which are electrostatic and without direction, covalent bonds are directed in space. For a simple molecule or covalently bonded ion made up of typical elements the shape is nearly always decided by the number of bonding electron pairs and the number of lone pairs (pairs of electrons not involved in bonding) around the central metal atom, which arrange themselves so as to be as far apart as possible because of electrostatic repulsion between the electron pairs. Table 2.8 shows the essential shape assumed by simple molecules or ions with one central atom X. Carbon is able to form a great many covalently bonded compounds in which there are chains of carbon atoms linked by single covalent bonds. In each case where the carbon atoms are joined to four other atoms the essential orientation around each carbon atom is tetrahedral. 

Chiral carbon atoms are common, but they are not the only possible centers of chirality. Other possible chiral tetravalent atoms are Si, Ge, Sn, N, S, and P, while potential trivalent chiral atoms, in which non-bonding electrons occupy the position of the fourth ligand, are N, P, As, Sb, S, Se, and Te. Furthermore, a center of chirality does not even have to be an atom, as shown in the structure represented in Figure 2-70b, where the center of chirality is at the center of the achiral skeleton of adamantane. 

Protonated methane (CH ) does not violate the octet rule of carbon. A bonding electron pair (responsible for covalent bonding between C and H atoms) is forced into sharing with the proton, resulting in 2 electron-3 center bonding (2e-3c) (see Chapter 10). Higher alkanes are protonated similarly. 

Many organic compounds have double or triple bonds to carbon Four electrons are involved in a double bond six in a triple bond... 

Step 1 Once generated by the reaction of tert butyl chloride and aluminum chloride tert butyl cation attacks the TT electrons of benzene and a carbon-carbon bond is formed... 

The chemical properties of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate are complementary m a way that permits them to react with each other to form a carbon-carbon bond that unites two isoprene units Using the tt electrons of its double... 

Section 26 9 Carbon-carbon bond formation between isoprene units can be understood on the basis of nucleophilic attack of the tt electrons of a double bond on a carbocation or an allyhc carbon that bears a pyrophosphate leaving group... 

It can be seen from Table 1 that there are no individual steps that are exothermic enough to break carbon—carbon bonds except the termination of step 3a of —407.9 kJ/mol (—97.5 kcal/mol). Consequentiy, procedures or conditions that reduce the atomic fluorine concentration or decrease the mobiUty of hydrocarbon radical intermediates, and/or keep them in the soHd state during reaction, are desirable. It is necessary to reduce the reaction rate to the extent that these hydrocarbon radical intermediates have longer lifetimes permitting the advantages of fluorination in individual steps to be achieved experimentally. It has been demonstrated by electron paramagnetic resonance (epr) methods (26) that, with high fluorine dilution, various radicals do indeed have appreciable lifetimes. 

The nonbonding electron clouds of the attached fluorine atoms tend to repel the oncoming fluorine molecules as they approach the carbon skeleton. This reduces the number of effective coUisions, making it possible to increase the total number of coUisions and stiU not accelerate the reaction rate as the reaction proceeds toward completion. This protective sheath of fluorine atoms provides the inertness of Teflon and other fluorocarbons. It also explains the fact that greater success in direct fluorination processes has been reported when the hydrocarbon to be fluorinated had already been partiaUy fluorinated by some other process or was prechlorinated, ie, the protective sheath of halogens reduced the number of reactive coUisions and aUowed reactions to occur without excessive cleavage of carbon—carbon bonds or mnaway exothermic processes. 

In principle, this degradation can continue until the residual radical contains only hydrogen or methyl groups attached to the carbon with the odd electron. Those radicals which stiU contain a carbon—carbon bond can form an olefin via reaction 23 (or sequence 2, 24). Methyl radicals are a special case with limited options. 

A considerable number of experiments have shown that symmetrical PMDs in the ground state have an aH-trans configuration and are nearly planar with practically equalized carbon—carbon bonds and slightly alternating valence angles within the polymethine chain (1,3,5,22,23). This is caused by some significant features of the PMD electron stmcture. 

Resonance theory can also account for the stability of the allyl radical. For example, to form an ethylene radical from ethylene requites a bond dissociation energy of 410 kj/mol (98 kcal/mol), whereas the bond dissociation energy to form an allyl radical from propylene requites 368 kj/mol (88 kcal/mol). This difference results entirely from resonance stabilization. The electron spin resonance spectmm of the allyl radical shows three, not four, types of hydrogen signals. The infrared spectmm shows one type, not two, of carbon—carbon bonds. These data imply the existence, at least on the time scale probed, of a symmetric molecule. The two equivalent resonance stmctures for the allyl radical are as follows ... 

Structure. The representation of the benzene molecule has evolved from the Kekule ring formula (1) to the more electronically accurate (2), which iadicates all carbon—carbon bonds are identical. 

The carbon—carbon double bond is the distinguishing feature of the butylenes and as such, controls their chemistry. This bond is formed by sp orbitals (a sigma bond and a weaker pi bond). The two carbon atoms plus the four atoms ia the alpha positions therefore He ia a plane. The pi bond which ties over the plane of the atoms acts as a source of electrons ia addition reactions at the double bond. The carbon—carbon bond, acting as a substitute, affects the reactivity of the carbon atoms at the alpha positions through the formation of the aHyUc resonance stmcture. This stmcture can stabilize both positive and... 

Structural parameters and interatomic distances derived from electron diffraction (7) (77JST(42)l2i) and X-ray diffraction (8) studies (76AX(B)3178) provide unequivocal evidence that pyrazine is planar with >2a symmetry. There is an increased localization of electron density in the carbon-nitrogen bonds, with carbon-carbon bonds being similar in length to those in benzene. ... 

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