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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: JoeyBob on January 31, 2020, 09:27:28 PM

Title: Difference between conjugated and resonance stabilized system?
Post by: JoeyBob on January 31, 2020, 09:27:28 PM

Like conjugated systems just seem like resonance stabilized systems to me. Is there a difference?

Title: Re: Difference between conjugated and resonance stabilized system?
Post by: rolnor on January 31, 2020, 10:15:41 PM

Here is some reading;

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjugated_system

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resonance_(chemistry)

Title: Re: Difference between conjugated and resonance stabilized system?
Post by: JoeyBob on January 31, 2020, 10:23:38 PM

Quote from: rolnor on January 31, 2020, 10:15:41 PM

Here is some reading;

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjugated_system

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resonance_(chemistry)

In other words, all conjugate systems or resonant stabilized while not all resonance systems are conjugated?

Title: Re: Difference between conjugated and resonance stabilized system?
Post by: hollytara on January 31, 2020, 10:24:09 PM

There are connections but they aren't identical

A set of orbitals that can interact and delocalize is considered to be conjugated.  These are usually pi systems, but there can be systems with sigma conjugation.

Resonance theory is a way to describe the way electrons interact when they are able to delocalize.  It is an extension of the Lewis bonding theory, which allows the Lewis theory to describe systems where electrons can delocalize. Most of these are conjugated systems, most are conjugated pi systems, but resonance can be applied to sigma systems as well.

There are other, more advanced methods that can describe these delocalized systems more accurately - Molecular Orbital Theory and so on.