Glossary

4.3 Stability of Cycloalkanes: Ring Strain

3 min read•may 7, 2024

Cycloalkanes, rings of carbon atoms, have unique stability influenced by their size and shape. , caused by deviations from ideal bond angles, plays a crucial role. Smaller rings like are highly strained, while and are more stable.

Understanding stability involves calculating and analyzing different types of strain. , , and all contribute to overall ring stability. helps explain how larger rings minimize strain through and other adjustments.

Cycloalkane Stability and Ring Strain

Ring strain and cycloalkane stability

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  • Ring strain primary factor affecting cycloalkane stability
    • Strain increases as ring size deviates from ideal tetrahedral bond angles of 109.5°
  • Cyclopropane (3-membered ring) highly strained
    • Internal bond angles of 60°, far from ideal 109.5°
    • Significant leads to reduced stability
  • (4-membered ring) also strained
    • Internal bond angles of 90°, still significantly deviated from ideal
    • Reduced stability compared to larger rings
  • Cyclopentane (5-membered ring) most stable cycloalkane
    • Internal bond angles close to ideal at 108°
    • Minimal ring strain and optimal stability
  • Cyclohexane (6-membered ring) also relatively stable
    • Assumes puckered conformation to minimize strain
    • most stable, with internal bond angles close to 109.5°
  • Larger rings (7 or more carbons) have increased strain
    • Transannular strain arises from repulsive interactions across ring
    • Stability decreases as ring size increases beyond 6 carbons

Calculation of cycloalkane strain energy

  • Strain energy difference between actual and expected
    • Actual determined experimentally
    • Expected heat of combustion calculated based on number of C-H and C-C bonds
  • Calculate expected heat of combustion using formula:
    • ΔHc∘=(nC−H×ΔHC−H)+(nC−C×ΔHC−C)\Delta H_{c}^{\circ} = (n_{C-H} \times \Delta H_{C-H}) + (n_{C-C} \times \Delta H_{C-C})
      • nC−Hn_{C-H}: number of C-H bonds
      • nC−Cn_{C-C}: number of C-C bonds
      • ΔHC−H\Delta H_{C-H}: average energy of C-H bond (−415 kJ/mol)
      • ΔHC−C\Delta H_{C-C}: average energy of C-C bond (−348 kJ/mol)
  • Strain energy calculated using formula:
    • Strain energy=ΔHc∘(actual)−ΔHc∘(expected)\text{Strain energy} = \Delta H_{c}^{\circ} (\text{actual}) - \Delta H_{c}^{\circ} (\text{expected})
  • Positive strain energy indicates less stable cycloalkane
    • Larger strain energy, less stable cycloalkane

Types of cycloalkane strain

  • Angle strain
    • Occurs when bond angles deviate from ideal tetrahedral angle of 109.5°
    • Significant in small rings like cyclopropane and cyclobutane
    • Increases as ring size decreases
  • (eclipsing strain)
    • Arises from repulsion between eclipsed substituents on adjacent carbons
    • Occurs in cyclopentane and larger rings
    • Minimized in staggered conformation
  • Transannular strain (van der Waals strain)
    • Results from repulsive interactions between atoms across ring
    • Significant in larger rings (7 or more carbons)
    • Increases with ring size as atoms are forced closer together

Conformational analysis and strain reduction

  • examines different spatial arrangements of atoms in cycloalkanes
  • Puckering reduces strain in larger cycloalkanes by altering bond angles
  • influences ring conformation and stability
  • affects bond angles and overall ring strain

Key Terms to Review (23)

Angle strain: Angle strain occurs when the bond angles in a molecule, especially in cycloalkanes, deviate from their ideal values, leading to increased instability and reactivity. It is a type of strain energy that affects the stability of cyclic compounds by forcing the bond angles to be either larger or smaller than what is energetically favorable.
Angle Strain: Angle strain refers to the distortion or deviation from the ideal bond angles in a molecule, which results in increased potential energy and decreased stability. This concept is particularly relevant in the context of cyclic organic compounds, where the inherent ring structure can impose geometric constraints that lead to angle strain.
Bond angle: The bond angle is the geometric angle between two adjacent bonds originating from the same atom. In the context of sp3 hybrid orbitals and the structure of methane, it refers to the angle between any two covalent bonds that join atoms to the central carbon atom.
Bond Angle: The bond angle refers to the angle formed between the covalent bonds of a molecule. It is a crucial parameter that determines the three-dimensional structure and geometry of molecules, which in turn influences their physical and chemical properties.
Chair conformation: The chair conformation is a three-dimensional shape that cyclohexane (a six-carbon ring) can adopt, characterized by its stability due to minimized steric hindrance and torsional strain. It resembles a chair, with alternating carbon atoms serving as the "seat" and "legs" or "backrest" of the chair.
Chair Conformation: The chair conformation is a stable three-dimensional arrangement adopted by cyclohexane and other six-membered ring compounds. This specific configuration minimizes steric strain and allows for the most stable positioning of substituents on the ring.
Conformational analysis: Conformational analysis is the study of the different shapes (conformations) that molecules can adopt due to rotation around single bonds. It particularly focuses on how these shapes affect the molecule's chemical properties and reactivity in organic chemistry.
Conformational Analysis: Conformational analysis is the study of the three-dimensional arrangements or conformations that a molecule can adopt. It involves examining the relative stability and interconversion of different conformations, which is crucial for understanding the behavior and reactivity of organic compounds.
Cycloalkane: A cycloalkane is a saturated, alicyclic hydrocarbon compound in which the carbon atoms are arranged in a closed ring. These compounds are an important class of organic molecules with unique structural and conformational properties.
Cyclobutane: Cyclobutane is a cyclic alkane with four carbon atoms arranged in a square-shaped ring. It is the simplest cycloalkane with a four-membered ring and has a unique set of properties that make it an important topic in organic chemistry.
Cyclohexane: Cyclohexane is a saturated, cyclic hydrocarbon compound with the chemical formula C6H12. It is a key component in understanding various aspects of organic chemistry, including the naming and stability of cycloalkanes, conformational analysis, and its role in the structure and properties of aromatic compounds and steroids.
Cyclopentane: Cyclopentane is a cyclic hydrocarbon compound with the molecular formula C5H10. It is a saturated, five-membered ring that plays a crucial role in various topics within organic chemistry, including the naming of cycloalkanes, cis-trans isomerism, ring strain, conformations, and its presence in steroid structures.
Cyclopropane: Cyclopropane is a three-membered cyclic alkane with the chemical formula C3H6. It is a highly strained hydrocarbon that exhibits unique chemical and physical properties, which are central to its role in various organic chemistry topics.
Heat of combustion: Heat of combustion is the amount of heat released when a compound completely burns in oxygen to form water and carbon dioxide. It is usually measured in joules per mole or calories per mole and indicates the stability of organic compounds, including cycloalkanes.
Heat of Combustion: The heat of combustion is the amount of energy released or absorbed when a substance undergoes complete combustion with oxygen under standard conditions. It is a measure of the energy content of a fuel and is an important factor in understanding the stability and reactivity of cycloalkanes in the context of ring strain.
Hybridization: Hybridization is a fundamental concept in chemistry that describes the process of mixing atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals, which are used to explain the geometry and bonding patterns of molecules. This term is closely related to the development of chemical bonding theory, valence bond theory, and molecular orbital theory, as well as the structure and properties of various organic compounds.
Puckering: Puckering refers to the three-dimensional distortion or bending of cyclic organic molecules, particularly cycloalkanes, to relieve strain and achieve a more stable conformation. This structural feature is closely linked to the stability of cyclic compounds.
Ring Strain: Ring strain refers to the inherent instability and high-energy state of cyclic organic compounds, particularly those with small ring sizes, due to the distortion of bond angles and bond lengths from their ideal values. This concept is central to understanding the properties and reactivity of cycloalkanes and other cyclic structures.
Steric Hindrance: Steric hindrance, also known as steric strain or steric effect, refers to the repulsive forces that arise between atoms or groups of atoms in a molecule due to their physical size and spatial arrangement. This phenomenon can significantly impact the stability, reactivity, and conformations of organic compounds.
Strain Energy: Strain energy is the potential energy stored in a molecule or structure due to the distortion or bending of chemical bonds. It arises when the geometry of a molecule deviates from its most stable, relaxed configuration, creating internal stress and tension within the structure.
Torsional strain: Torsional strain arises from the resistance to twisting of the molecular bonds in a molecule, observed when atoms on adjacent atoms are rotated about their bond axis. It is most commonly discussed in the context of ethane conformations, where varying degrees of this strain affect the molecule's stability.
Torsional Strain: Torsional strain refers to the distortion or twisting of a molecule's structure due to the unfavorable interactions between atoms or functional groups. This strain arises when the rotation around a bond is restricted, leading to a deviation from the most stable conformation.
Transannular Strain: Transannular strain is a type of ring strain that occurs in cyclic organic compounds, particularly in medium-sized and large-sized rings. It arises due to unfavorable interactions between atoms or groups of atoms within the same ring, leading to distortions in the molecule's geometry and increased overall energy.
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