Bent bonds

Definition

Bent bonds are a type of chemical bond found in certain cyclic compounds where the standard linear geometry of the bond is distorted due to ring strain. They occur in small cycloalkanes, such as cyclopropane, where the internal angles deviate from the ideal tetrahedral angle of 109.5° to accommodate the cyclic structure.

Related terms

Ring strain: It is the tension or instability in the molecular structure of a cyclic compound caused by the deviation from ideal bond angles and lengths.

Cyclopropane: A cycloalkane composed of three carbon atoms arranged in a ring, characteristically featuring bent bonds due to its small ring size.

Tetrahedral angle: The ideal bond angle (109.5°) between atoms in a molecule with a tetrahedral geometry, which is often distorted in strained rings like those containing bent bonds.