Electronic Spectra of Conjugated Alkenes

Alkenes absorb ultraviolet (UV) light and use the absorbed energy to excite an electron from the HOMO (highest-occupied molecular orbital) to the LUMO (lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital). 

Repeat your analysis for the LUMO of ethene, 1,3-butadiene, 1,3,5-hexatriene and -carotene, except now focus on each orbital s net antibonding character. (Assume that LUMO energy rises as net antibonding character increases.) What effect does conjugation have on LUMO shape and energy Are your predictions for the HOMO-LUMO energy gap consistent with the experimental data  

HOMO and LUMO of 1,3,5-hexatriene show origin and destination of excited electron. 

HOMO (top) and LUMO (bottom) of acetone change occupancy upon absorption of light. 

Electrostatic potential map for the ground state of acetone shows negatively-charged regions (in red) and positively-charged regions (in blue). 

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Chapter 5 treats extension of the method to alkenes, alkynes and aromatic compounds by generalizing the force constant matrix. The relationship between bond orders and molecular geometry in conjugated systems is discussed along with VESCF inclusion in MM4. The valence bond description of molecular structure is discussed with special regard to MM4 results for phenanthrene, corranulene, and the C 60 fullerenes along with a general review of aromaticity and electronic spectra. 

We will approach radical cation structures according to the nature of the parent molecules, specifically according to the donor type, viz., n-, or o-donors, to which they belong. Among the radical cations derived from rc-donors, those of aromatic hydrocarbons show the closest structural relationship to their parents. They also were the first class to be investigated in detail, because they are comparably stable and their spectra fall into a readily accessible range. This family shows the closest correlation between radical cation AEs, and parent AIs. On the other hand, cross-conjugated systems and alkenes may feature substantial differences between parent and radical cation electronic structures. Hence their tendency towards non-Koopmans type states. 

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