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CONFORMATIONS

The document discusses conformations in alkanes. Conformations refer to the spatial arrangements of carbon and hydrogen atoms that can be interconverted via C-C single bond rotation. Sawhorse and Newman projections are used to represent conformations. The staggered conformation has hydrogens staggered between carbons, minimizing repulsion. The eclipsed conformation has hydrogens directly behind each other, maximizing repulsion. The staggered conformation is more stable due to less repulsion between electron clouds.

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Elaaf Anzar
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39 views

CONFORMATIONS

The document discusses conformations in alkanes. Conformations refer to the spatial arrangements of carbon and hydrogen atoms that can be interconverted via C-C single bond rotation. Sawhorse and Newman projections are used to represent conformations. The staggered conformation has hydrogens staggered between carbons, minimizing repulsion. The eclipsed conformation has hydrogens directly behind each other, maximizing repulsion. The staggered conformation is more stable due to less repulsion between electron clouds.

Uploaded by

Elaaf Anzar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CONFORMATIONS

Definition
• spatial arrangement of carbon and hydrogen atoms which can be converted into one
another by rotation around a C-C single bond is called conformation or conformer or
rotamer. Alkanes can thus have an infinite number of conformations by rotation
around C-C single bonds.

Sawhorse projections:
• In this kind of projection, the bond between carbon
atoms is shown as a long straight line. The lower end of
the line designates the front carbon atom whereas the
upper end designates the rear carbon atom. Since each
carbon atom in ethane is attached to three hydrogen
atoms; each carbon atom has three lines attached
designating C-H bonds inclined at an angle of 120° to
each other.
Newman projections:
• In this projection, out of the two carbon atoms present in ethane one which is nearer is
shown as a dot whereas the rear carbon atom is represented as a circle. The three
hydrogen atoms attached to each carbon atom are represented with the help of three
lines either bulging out of the circle or diverging of the dotted lines. These lines are
inclined to each other at an angle of 120° to each other.
Staggered Conformation
• In this arrangement,the hydrogens of the two
carbon atoms are staggered with respect to
one another.As a result ,they are at maximum
distance apart and have minimum repulsion
between them.

Eclipsed Conformation
• In this conformation ,the hydrogens of one carbon atom are directly
behind those of the other.Consequently ,the repulsion in these atoms
is maximum.
Relative stabilities of the conformations of ethane
• In staggered conformation of ethane, the electron clouds of carbon-hydrogen bonds are as
far apart as possible. And therefore the staggered conformation has minimum repulsions
between the H –atoms.
• In eclipsed conformation the electron clouds of the carbon – hydrogen bonds are closer to
each other and therefore eclipsed conformation has maximum force of repulsion
between H-atoms.
• Therefore staggered conformation is more stable than eclipsed conformation.
• When the staggered form changes into the eclipsed form,the repulsion forces increase
and the molecule will possess more energy and thus loses stability.These repulsive
interactions between the electron clouds which affect the stability of a conformation is
called torsional strain.
• The magnitude of torsional strain depends upon the angle of rotation about C-C bond.This
angle is called dihedral angle.
• The staggered form has least torsional strain and while eclipsed form has maximum
torsional strain.
• The difference in the energy contents of the staggered and eclipsed form conformations is
12.5KJmol-1

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