Organic Chemistry - Carbon Hybridization

Description:

The shape, structure and reactivity of carbon compounds depend on different types of hybridization (sp³,sp²,sp). Hybridized orbitals are formed when electrons are excited from their ground state and when mixing of orbitals take place.

The hybridized orbitals for compounds having sp³,sp²,sp hybridization can be shown as −

CH4(sp3)	CH2 = CH2(sp2)	HC ≡ CH(sp)

It can be seen that sp³ hybridization gives saturated carbon compounds while sp² and sp hybridization results in unsaturated compounds. 1 and 2p −orbitals (p_y and p_z) which do not participate in hybridization overlap parallely to form 1 and 2π bonds in −C = C − and −C ≡ C − systems.