Why does carbon catenate

Every electron can bond any hydrogen electron so many new different elements are form.. The ability of an element to catenate is primarily based on the bond energy of the element to itself, which decreases with more diffuse orbitals those with higher azimuthal quantum number overlapping to form the bond.

Hence, carbon, with the least diffuse valence shell p orbital is capable of forming Hence, carbon, with the least diffuse valence shell p orbital is capable of forming longer p-p sigma bonded chains of atoms than heavier elements which bond via higher valence shell orbitals. Catenation ability is also influenced by a range of steric and electronic factors, including the electronegativity of the element in question, the molecular orbital hybridization and the ability to form different kinds of covalent bonds.

For carbon, the sigma overlap between adjacent atoms is sufficiently strong that perfectly stable chains can be formed. With other elements this was once thought to be extremely difficult in spite of plenty of evidence to the contrary.

Catenation is the linkage of atoms of the same element into longer chains. Catenation occurs most readily in 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 Carbon is most well known for its properties of catenation, with organic chemistry essentially being the study of catenated carbon structures otherwise known as catenae. However, carbon is by no means the only element capable of forming such catenae, and several other main group elements are capable of forming an expansive range of catenae, including silicon, sulfur and boron. The versatile chemistry of elemental sulfur is largely due to catenation. In the native state, sulfur exists as S8 molecules.

On heating these rings open and link together giving rise to increasingly long chains, as evidenced by the progressive increase in viscosity as the chains lengthen.

Selenium and tellurium also show variants of these structural motifs. Silicon can form sigma bonds to other silicon atoms and disilane is the parent of this class of compounds. Silanes higher in molecular weight than disilane decompose to polymeric polysilicon hydride and hydrogen. These long chain compounds have surprising electronic properties - high electrical conductivity, for example - arising from sigma delocalization of the electrons in the chain.

Small rings or clusters are more common. However, these bonds are less stable than the carbon analogues. Disilane is quite reactive compared to ethane. Disilylenes are quite rare, unlike alkenes. Examples of disilynes, long thought to be too unstable to be isolated[4] were reported in The ability of certain main group elements to catenate is currently the subject of research into inorganic polymers.

Catenation means "self linking" and carbon is not the only element which shows this property ,for instance, chlorine also have catenation property Cl2,oxygen also have catenation property O2,O3, Only the catenation property of Carbon is greater than any other element. Carbon atom is small in size. Thus, its bonds with another carbon atom is quite strong as the shared pair of electron is quite close to the nucleus. Thus, carbon atoms often react to form long chains. Related Questions.

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Now as their name suggests, they do give off a very strong aroma. Study Guides Flashcards Online Courses. The element's ability to catenate is essentially determined by its bond energy to itself, which decreases as more dispersed orbitals those with a higher azimuthal quantum number overlap to form the bond. As a consequence, the carbon element, which has the least or minimal diffuse valence shell p-orbital, will form the longer p-p sigma bound chains of atoms compared to the heavier elements, which have higher valence shell orbitals.

The ability to catenate is influenced further by a combination of electronic and steric influences, such as the element's electronegativity , the molecular orbital n, and the ability to form different forms of covalent bonds.

For the carbon atom, the sigma overlap between the adjacent atoms is strong enough that perfectly stable chains are formed. With the other elements, this was once thought to be not easier despite plenty of evidence to the contrary. The structure of the water theories involves the 3-dimensional networks of both chains and rings, and tetrahedra, which are linked via hydrogen bonding. A polycatenated network, with the rings produced from metal-templated hemispheres, which are linked by the hydrogen bonds, was reported in In organic chemistry, hydrogen bonding is well known to facilitate the formation of chain structures.

For example, 4-tricyclanol C 10 H 16 O represents catenated hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups by leading to the production of helical chains; crystalline isophthalic acid - C 8 H 6 O 4 is built up from the molecules, which are connected by the hydrogen bonds, forming infinite chains. Whereas in the unusual conditions, a one-dimensional series of hydrogen molecules confined within a single wall, the carbon nanotube can be expected to become metallic at relatively low pressure, at