Can a C−C bond exist in a stable compound?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Oct 11, 2017

Yes it can... nearly every hydrocarbon proves that.

In any hydrocarbon containing two or more carbons, one must have a carbon-carbon bond.

H3C−CH3

H3C−CH2−CH3

etc.

In all of these, carbon bonds with itself, and forms a stable compound.

Carbon cannot, however, form a stable C2 molecule at room temperature.

![https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/](https://d2jmvrsizmvf4x.cloudfront.net/vqEHzfizQbCTbRYW0YZM_main-qimg-c9066c85cf12c8c097ee5be76366d85e-c)

Here, the MO diagram of C2 suggests a Lewis structure of:

:..C=..C:

The formal charge on each carbon is −2 and not 0 like it would be for a nonpolar homonuclear diatomic molecule.

Its π electrons are also in separate orbitals, so the π bond I drew is really artificial. In reality the C2 compound would then have two half-π-bonds using perpendicular sets of orbitals, so it's not quite a regular double bond overall...

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