ELECTRONIC

CONCEPT OF
DYES
Rachna - A0989222022
 W H AT ARE DYES?
Dyes are coloured organic compounds that are used to impart
colour to various substrates, including paper, leather, hair,
drugs, cosmetics, waxes, greases, plastics and textile materials.
A dye is a coloured compound, normally used in solution, which
is capable of being fixed to fabrics.

Modern/ Electronic Theories of Dye

Valence Bond Theory Molecular Orbital Theory

(VBT) (MOT)
1.VALENCE BOND THEORY
(VBT)
1.When a beam of light falls on a molecule, it absorbs light of appropriate energy
and gets excited.
2.The wavelength of light absorbed depends upon the difference in the energy of
ground state and excited state (E). The greater is this difference, the shorter is
the wavelength of light absorbed.
3.Example: ethylene is colourless but conjugated polyene having more double
bonds
are coloured.
1.VALENCE BOND THEORY
(VBT)
4.When the number of double bonds in conjugation increases the wavelength of
absorption also increases.
- Example:-

Ethylene: λmax= 175nm 1,3-Butadiene: λmax=

217nm
5. Hence, the colour of a compound will depend upon the following :
(a) Extent of conjugation

β-Carotene( pigment present in

carrot) Orange red: λmax=
478nm
1.VALENCE BOND THEORY
(VBT)
(b) Presence of other
groups
- Example:

Colourless: λmax= Pale yellow: λmax= Dark yellow: λmax=

204nm 280nm 375nm

(c) Steric effect

2.MOLECULAR ORBITAL THEORY (MOT)
-When an atom or molecule absorbs energy in the UV/visible region, it undergoes excitation involving transition
between electronic energy levels.
-These transitions involve promotion of an electron from an occupied orbital (Ground State) to an unoccupied
orbital (excited state).
-Generally, the most probable transition takes place from Highest Occupied Molecular Orbitals (HOMO) to
Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbitals (LUMO).
-HOMO -LUMO
𝞂 orbitals (𝞂 𝞂 *
bond) π orbitals orbitals
(π bond) π*
n orbital ( non- orbitals
bonding orbitals)
-Energy levels of various
molecular orbitals
2.MOLECULAR ORBITAL THEORY (MOT)
- The order of energies for various electronic transitions is as follows-
𝞂 → 𝞂 * >𝞂
→ π* > π→ π* > n→ 𝞂 * > n→ π*
Decrease in energy (or increase
→ in wavelength) of

- absorption. and n→ π* transitions can occur in UV range.

-πThe
→ π* n→ π* transition requires minimum energy and hence occurs at longer wavelength and

such transition is always less intense.

-Further π→ π* transitions are more intense than n→ π * transitions and hence are responsible
for colour.
Simple alkenes, such as ethylene, absorbs at 175 mm.
But 1,3-butadiene absorbs at 217 mm due to
presence of two double bonds in conjugation.

Molecular orbitals of 1,3-butadiene

 References

-John D. Robert and Marjorie C. Caserio (1977) Basic Principles

of Organic Chemistry, second edition. W. A. Benjamin, Inc. ,
Menlo Park, CA

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of-the-color-of-dyes/

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Thank
you