Catenation

By
ALI AFZAL

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 Catenation
Catenation is the ability of carbon to form long chains.
In fact, carbon atoms are unique because of catenation
—they are unique among all of the other atoms found
in nature. Now, carbon chains are formed because they
form bonds, or tetravalent bonds, with other carbon
atoms.

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 Cont….
Examples:
 Carbon is the most common element that
exhibits catenation. It can form long hydrocarbon
chains and rings like benzene.

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 Cont…

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 Carbon
 Catenation occurs most readily with carbon, which
forms covalent bonds with other carbon atoms to form
longer chains and structures.
 This is the reason for the presence of the vast number
of organic compounds in nature.
  Carbon is most well known for its properties of
catenation, with organic chemistry essentially being
the study of catenated carbon structures (and known
as catenae).

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 Catenation property .
When two or more atoms of an element combine with
each other through the covalently single bond, double
bond or triple bond to form a long chain structure,
then that characteristic of the elements is
called catenation property.

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 Cont….

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 Cont…
When a large number of carbon atoms are covalently
bonded with each other through the single bond,
double bond or triple bond, resulting in the formation
of a large number of cyclic or open chain compounds,
so in the case of carbon this properties is
called catenation property of carbon.

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 Carbon Shows Highest Degree Of Catenation

 The ionization potential of carbon is quite high

and its electron affinity is of moderate quality.
The size of carbon atom is small.
 Now, it has been experimentally found that the
carbon atom shows highest degree of catenation.
Observations have shown that there are three main
reasons for showing of catenation property by
carbon atom.
 (I)The C — C bond energy is higher than their
expected value due to small size of carbon atom.
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 Cont…
(II)Carbon shows tetravalency and forms large
number of covalent bonds.
(III)Carbon occupied less diffused atomic orbital due
to small atomic size and hence a strong overlapping
occurs among the orbitals.
(II)Carbon shows tetravalency and forms large
number of covalent bonds.

The End …

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