Explanation for bond lengths in trans-hexatriene












9












$begingroup$


Hexatriene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon with six carbon atoms and five carbon-carbon bonds, three of which are double bonds.



However, the bond lengths of the $ce{C=C}$ bonds are not the same. The middle $ce{C=C}$ bond has a length of 137 pm while the $ce{C=C}$ bonds at the end of the molecule have lengths of 134 pm, the length of a standard $ce{C=C}$ bond. The two carbon-carbon single bonds are 146 pm long, also off from the standard 154 pm length of carbon-carbon single bonds.



Bond lengths



Clayden's organic chemistry hints that the explanation has to do with the molecular orbits formed and the conjugation system in the molecule. However, I do not fully understand this explanation.



Why do these carbon-carbon bonds show this unusual bond length behavior? A thourough explanation using MO theory would be appreciated.



References



Clayden, J., Greeves, N., Warren, S. Organic chemistry, 2nd ed.; Oxford University Press: New York, 2012.










share|improve this question











$endgroup$

















    9












    $begingroup$


    Hexatriene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon with six carbon atoms and five carbon-carbon bonds, three of which are double bonds.



    However, the bond lengths of the $ce{C=C}$ bonds are not the same. The middle $ce{C=C}$ bond has a length of 137 pm while the $ce{C=C}$ bonds at the end of the molecule have lengths of 134 pm, the length of a standard $ce{C=C}$ bond. The two carbon-carbon single bonds are 146 pm long, also off from the standard 154 pm length of carbon-carbon single bonds.



    Bond lengths



    Clayden's organic chemistry hints that the explanation has to do with the molecular orbits formed and the conjugation system in the molecule. However, I do not fully understand this explanation.



    Why do these carbon-carbon bonds show this unusual bond length behavior? A thourough explanation using MO theory would be appreciated.



    References



    Clayden, J., Greeves, N., Warren, S. Organic chemistry, 2nd ed.; Oxford University Press: New York, 2012.










    share|improve this question











    $endgroup$















      9












      9








      9


      1



      $begingroup$


      Hexatriene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon with six carbon atoms and five carbon-carbon bonds, three of which are double bonds.



      However, the bond lengths of the $ce{C=C}$ bonds are not the same. The middle $ce{C=C}$ bond has a length of 137 pm while the $ce{C=C}$ bonds at the end of the molecule have lengths of 134 pm, the length of a standard $ce{C=C}$ bond. The two carbon-carbon single bonds are 146 pm long, also off from the standard 154 pm length of carbon-carbon single bonds.



      Bond lengths



      Clayden's organic chemistry hints that the explanation has to do with the molecular orbits formed and the conjugation system in the molecule. However, I do not fully understand this explanation.



      Why do these carbon-carbon bonds show this unusual bond length behavior? A thourough explanation using MO theory would be appreciated.



      References



      Clayden, J., Greeves, N., Warren, S. Organic chemistry, 2nd ed.; Oxford University Press: New York, 2012.










      share|improve this question











      $endgroup$




      Hexatriene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon with six carbon atoms and five carbon-carbon bonds, three of which are double bonds.



      However, the bond lengths of the $ce{C=C}$ bonds are not the same. The middle $ce{C=C}$ bond has a length of 137 pm while the $ce{C=C}$ bonds at the end of the molecule have lengths of 134 pm, the length of a standard $ce{C=C}$ bond. The two carbon-carbon single bonds are 146 pm long, also off from the standard 154 pm length of carbon-carbon single bonds.



      Bond lengths



      Clayden's organic chemistry hints that the explanation has to do with the molecular orbits formed and the conjugation system in the molecule. However, I do not fully understand this explanation.



      Why do these carbon-carbon bonds show this unusual bond length behavior? A thourough explanation using MO theory would be appreciated.



      References



      Clayden, J., Greeves, N., Warren, S. Organic chemistry, 2nd ed.; Oxford University Press: New York, 2012.







      organic-chemistry bond molecular-orbital-theory






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited Dec 27 '18 at 0:23









      orthocresol

      39.4k7114241




      39.4k7114241










      asked Dec 26 '18 at 23:57









      EthiopiusEthiopius

      3671113




      3671113






















          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          15












          $begingroup$

          If you derive the π-type molecular orbitals of hexatriene, the three lower-energy MOs which are filled would look something like this (image from p 33 of Fleming's Molecular Orbitals and Organic Chemical Reactions, Reference Edition):



          Filled π MOs of hexatriene



          I suspect what Clayden is getting at is that in the second MO, there is some antibonding character between C3 and C4, whereas the C1/C2 and C5/C6 interaction is purely bonding.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            And this antibonding interaction between C3 and C4 would cause the double bond to have slight single bond character, which would explain the longer than usual bond length for the C3=C4 bond?
            $endgroup$
            – Ethiopius
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:41






          • 2




            $begingroup$
            Yes, pretty much. So it is something like a 1.99-bond, if that makes any sense. (That number's made up, of course.)
            $endgroup$
            – orthocresol
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:43








          • 3




            $begingroup$
            You do not have to make it up. You can work out net pi bonding in each linkage by multiplying the coefficients on each pair of bonded atoms, doubling, and adding up the results for all orbital. This gives 0.87 pi bond between C-1 and C-2, 0.48 between C-2 and C-3, and 0.78 between C-3 and C-4. Other bonds are determined by symmetry.
            $endgroup$
            – Oscar Lanzi
            Dec 27 '18 at 12:09











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          1 Answer
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          1 Answer
          1






          active

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          active

          oldest

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          15












          $begingroup$

          If you derive the π-type molecular orbitals of hexatriene, the three lower-energy MOs which are filled would look something like this (image from p 33 of Fleming's Molecular Orbitals and Organic Chemical Reactions, Reference Edition):



          Filled π MOs of hexatriene



          I suspect what Clayden is getting at is that in the second MO, there is some antibonding character between C3 and C4, whereas the C1/C2 and C5/C6 interaction is purely bonding.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            And this antibonding interaction between C3 and C4 would cause the double bond to have slight single bond character, which would explain the longer than usual bond length for the C3=C4 bond?
            $endgroup$
            – Ethiopius
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:41






          • 2




            $begingroup$
            Yes, pretty much. So it is something like a 1.99-bond, if that makes any sense. (That number's made up, of course.)
            $endgroup$
            – orthocresol
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:43








          • 3




            $begingroup$
            You do not have to make it up. You can work out net pi bonding in each linkage by multiplying the coefficients on each pair of bonded atoms, doubling, and adding up the results for all orbital. This gives 0.87 pi bond between C-1 and C-2, 0.48 between C-2 and C-3, and 0.78 between C-3 and C-4. Other bonds are determined by symmetry.
            $endgroup$
            – Oscar Lanzi
            Dec 27 '18 at 12:09
















          15












          $begingroup$

          If you derive the π-type molecular orbitals of hexatriene, the three lower-energy MOs which are filled would look something like this (image from p 33 of Fleming's Molecular Orbitals and Organic Chemical Reactions, Reference Edition):



          Filled π MOs of hexatriene



          I suspect what Clayden is getting at is that in the second MO, there is some antibonding character between C3 and C4, whereas the C1/C2 and C5/C6 interaction is purely bonding.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            And this antibonding interaction between C3 and C4 would cause the double bond to have slight single bond character, which would explain the longer than usual bond length for the C3=C4 bond?
            $endgroup$
            – Ethiopius
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:41






          • 2




            $begingroup$
            Yes, pretty much. So it is something like a 1.99-bond, if that makes any sense. (That number's made up, of course.)
            $endgroup$
            – orthocresol
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:43








          • 3




            $begingroup$
            You do not have to make it up. You can work out net pi bonding in each linkage by multiplying the coefficients on each pair of bonded atoms, doubling, and adding up the results for all orbital. This gives 0.87 pi bond between C-1 and C-2, 0.48 between C-2 and C-3, and 0.78 between C-3 and C-4. Other bonds are determined by symmetry.
            $endgroup$
            – Oscar Lanzi
            Dec 27 '18 at 12:09














          15












          15








          15





          $begingroup$

          If you derive the π-type molecular orbitals of hexatriene, the three lower-energy MOs which are filled would look something like this (image from p 33 of Fleming's Molecular Orbitals and Organic Chemical Reactions, Reference Edition):



          Filled π MOs of hexatriene



          I suspect what Clayden is getting at is that in the second MO, there is some antibonding character between C3 and C4, whereas the C1/C2 and C5/C6 interaction is purely bonding.






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          If you derive the π-type molecular orbitals of hexatriene, the three lower-energy MOs which are filled would look something like this (image from p 33 of Fleming's Molecular Orbitals and Organic Chemical Reactions, Reference Edition):



          Filled π MOs of hexatriene



          I suspect what Clayden is getting at is that in the second MO, there is some antibonding character between C3 and C4, whereas the C1/C2 and C5/C6 interaction is purely bonding.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered Dec 27 '18 at 1:37









          orthocresolorthocresol

          39.4k7114241




          39.4k7114241












          • $begingroup$
            And this antibonding interaction between C3 and C4 would cause the double bond to have slight single bond character, which would explain the longer than usual bond length for the C3=C4 bond?
            $endgroup$
            – Ethiopius
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:41






          • 2




            $begingroup$
            Yes, pretty much. So it is something like a 1.99-bond, if that makes any sense. (That number's made up, of course.)
            $endgroup$
            – orthocresol
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:43








          • 3




            $begingroup$
            You do not have to make it up. You can work out net pi bonding in each linkage by multiplying the coefficients on each pair of bonded atoms, doubling, and adding up the results for all orbital. This gives 0.87 pi bond between C-1 and C-2, 0.48 between C-2 and C-3, and 0.78 between C-3 and C-4. Other bonds are determined by symmetry.
            $endgroup$
            – Oscar Lanzi
            Dec 27 '18 at 12:09


















          • $begingroup$
            And this antibonding interaction between C3 and C4 would cause the double bond to have slight single bond character, which would explain the longer than usual bond length for the C3=C4 bond?
            $endgroup$
            – Ethiopius
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:41






          • 2




            $begingroup$
            Yes, pretty much. So it is something like a 1.99-bond, if that makes any sense. (That number's made up, of course.)
            $endgroup$
            – orthocresol
            Dec 27 '18 at 1:43








          • 3




            $begingroup$
            You do not have to make it up. You can work out net pi bonding in each linkage by multiplying the coefficients on each pair of bonded atoms, doubling, and adding up the results for all orbital. This gives 0.87 pi bond between C-1 and C-2, 0.48 between C-2 and C-3, and 0.78 between C-3 and C-4. Other bonds are determined by symmetry.
            $endgroup$
            – Oscar Lanzi
            Dec 27 '18 at 12:09
















          $begingroup$
          And this antibonding interaction between C3 and C4 would cause the double bond to have slight single bond character, which would explain the longer than usual bond length for the C3=C4 bond?
          $endgroup$
          – Ethiopius
          Dec 27 '18 at 1:41




          $begingroup$
          And this antibonding interaction between C3 and C4 would cause the double bond to have slight single bond character, which would explain the longer than usual bond length for the C3=C4 bond?
          $endgroup$
          – Ethiopius
          Dec 27 '18 at 1:41




          2




          2




          $begingroup$
          Yes, pretty much. So it is something like a 1.99-bond, if that makes any sense. (That number's made up, of course.)
          $endgroup$
          – orthocresol
          Dec 27 '18 at 1:43






          $begingroup$
          Yes, pretty much. So it is something like a 1.99-bond, if that makes any sense. (That number's made up, of course.)
          $endgroup$
          – orthocresol
          Dec 27 '18 at 1:43






          3




          3




          $begingroup$
          You do not have to make it up. You can work out net pi bonding in each linkage by multiplying the coefficients on each pair of bonded atoms, doubling, and adding up the results for all orbital. This gives 0.87 pi bond between C-1 and C-2, 0.48 between C-2 and C-3, and 0.78 between C-3 and C-4. Other bonds are determined by symmetry.
          $endgroup$
          – Oscar Lanzi
          Dec 27 '18 at 12:09




          $begingroup$
          You do not have to make it up. You can work out net pi bonding in each linkage by multiplying the coefficients on each pair of bonded atoms, doubling, and adding up the results for all orbital. This gives 0.87 pi bond between C-1 and C-2, 0.48 between C-2 and C-3, and 0.78 between C-3 and C-4. Other bonds are determined by symmetry.
          $endgroup$
          – Oscar Lanzi
          Dec 27 '18 at 12:09


















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