0

Guest

Courses New

Electronic Structure of the Carboxylic Group

Electronic Structure of the Carboxylic Group

Grade:12

1 Answers

Sachin Tyagi
31 Points
15 years ago
In carboxylic group the carbon atom and the two oxygen atoms are sp2 hybridized. The two sp2 hybridized orbitals of the carboxylic carbon atom overlap with one sp2 with one sp2 hybridized orbital of each oxygen atom while the third sp2 hybridized orbital of carbon atom overlaps with a sp3 hybridized orbital of carbon atom of the alkyl group to form three bonds and the one unhybridized p-orbital is perpendicular to the bonding skeleton.

All the bonds to the carboxylic carbon atom lie on one plane and are separated by about 120o from each other. The molecular of carboxylic acid can be represented as a resonance hybrid of the following structure.

From these structures, it is clear that the carbonyl part of the carboxylic group is electrically neutral (compare it with aldehydes and ketones in which only one structure is electrically neutral) and  does not have a double bond character but a reduced double bond character. Thus, carboxylic acid does not five the reactions of the carbonyl group.

The stability of carboxylate ion can also be explained in terms of delocalization of ? electron density. As the carbonyl carbon involves sp2 hybridization leaves one unhybridized ? orbital, therefore, this ? orbitals of oxygen atom forming ? bond. The resulting ? orbital cloud is spearad over both oxygen atoms and carbon atom.

Think You Can Provide A Better Answer ?

Other Related Questions on Organic Chemistry

View all Questions »

ASK QUESTION

Get your questions answered by the expert for free

Answer and earn gift vouchers

Win Gift vouchers upto Rs 500/-

View courses by askIITians

Design classes One-on-One in your own way with Top IITians/Medical Professionals

Click Here Know More

Complete Self Study Package designed by Industry Leading Experts

Click Here Know More

Live 1-1 coding classes to unleash the Creator in your Child

Click Here Know More

a Complete All-in-One Study package Fully Loaded inside a Tablet!

Click Here Know More