| Abstract: | In this essay, the classical question of “the influence of the number and kind of substituents on the strength of the C? C bond”, is pursued with the modern tools of contemporary physical organic chemistry. Based on the work of Karl Ziegler, the products and kinetics of thermolysis of a large number of highly branched aliphatic hydrocarbons and phenyl- or cyano-substituted derivatives were investigated. For each class of compounds, a linear relationship was found between the free enthalpy of activation of the homolytic cleavage of the weakest C? C bond and the strain energy in the ground state. These relationships permitted a quantitative separation of steric and electronic effects on the cleavage of C? C bonds. The influence of the size of the substituent groups on bond angles, bond lengths, and the conformational behavior of model compounds was studied by means of experimental structure determinations and force field calculations. C? C bond lengths up to 164 pm, bond angles at tetracoordinate carbon as large as 126°, and unusual eclipsed and gauche preferred conformations were found. |
