Electron transfer mediating properties of hydrocarbons as a function of chain length: a differential scanning

Denis Scaini1, Matteo Castronovo, Loredana Casalis

  • 1SISSA/ETTRA NanoInnovation Laboratory, Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S.14 Km 163.5, 34012 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.

ACS Nano
|February 12, 2009
PubMed

Related Concept Videos

Physical Properties of Alkanes02:33

Physical Properties of Alkanes

Alkanes are nonpolar molecules due to the presence of only carbon and hydrogen atoms. The electronegativity difference between carbon and hydrogen is minimal, and hence alkanes have a zero dipole moment. This leads to the presence of only dispersion forces between the molecules. The strength of dispersion forces is dependent on the surface area of the molecules on which they act. Since the surface area increases with the molecular length for straight-chain alkanes, the dispersion forces also...
¹H NMR: Long-Range Coupling01:27

¹H NMR: Long-Range Coupling

The coupling interactions of nuclei across four or more bonds are usually weak, with J values less than 1 Hz. While these are usually not observed in spectra, the presence of multiple bonds along the coupling pathway can result in observable long-range coupling.
In alkenes, spin information is communicated via σ–π overlap, as seen in allylic (four-bond) and homoallylic (five-bond) couplings. These coupling interactions are stronger when the σ bond is parallel to the alkene π orbitals.
Stability of Conjugated Dienes01:28

Stability of Conjugated Dienes

Introduction
A comparison of the enthalpies of hydrogenation of dienes reveals that conjugated dienes release less heat on hydrogenation, rendering them more stable than their nonconjugated analogs.
Inductive Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview01:27

Inductive Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview

The protons in unsubstituted alkanes are strongly shielded with chemical shifts below 1.8 ppm. Methine, methylene, and methyl protons appear at approximately 1.7, 1.2 and 0.7 ppm, while the proton signal from methane appears at 0.23 ppm. An electronegative substituent, such as chlorine, withdraws the electron density from the protons, increasing their chemical shift. Progressive substitution of the hydrogens in methane by chlorine shifts the proton signals increasingly downfield, to 3.05 ppm in...
π Electron Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview01:27

π Electron Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview

An applied magnetic field causes loosely bound π-electrons in organic molecules to circulate, producing a local or induced diamagnetic field over a large spatial volume. As the molecules tumble in solution, the field generated by π-electrons in spherical substituents results in a zero net field. However, the net field generated by π-electrons in non-spherical substituents is not zero. The effect of this induced field depends on the orientation of the molecule with respect to B0, resulting in...
IR Absorption Frequency: Hybridization01:21

IR Absorption Frequency: Hybridization

Hydrocarbons such as alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes show characteristic C–H stretching absorption bands. These IR stretching frequencies depend on the hybridization of the involved carbon atom and can be explained in terms of the s character of each hybridized atomic orbital.
Among the sp, sp2, and sp3 hybridized orbitals, sp orbitals have the maximum s character (50%). Consequently, the electrons are held more closely to the nucleus, resulting in stronger and shorter C–H bonds that stretch at a...