Delocalized Bond

[Katie Bart 1I]

What is a delocalized bond? (A delocalized double bond in particular)

[Jack Riley 4f]

Delocalized bonds are bonds that appear in some resonance forms. Basically, it describes the fact that some electrons are not specific to a particular bond or atom. This is due to resonance and is experimentally proven by the fact that all bonds in a molecule with resonance have a length somewhere between the length of a normal single bond and the length of a normal double bond.

[Sahil Jog 1F]

A delocalized bonds occur in resonance structures. Resonance structures are molecules that have a double bond that could be attached more than one way. Take for example NO3- (Nitrate). In the Lewis Structure of nitrate, we can draw the one double bond with the oxygen in any of the three oxygens, making it a resonance structure. With experimental data, it was deduced that the bond length of all three bonds fall between a single and a double bond, indicating that the electron was delocalized. If the electron was localized, then the bond length for the double bond would match with the double bond and the single with the single.

[ZainAlrawi_1J]

Delocalized bonds are not tied down to a single nucleus in the same way localized bonds are.

Delocalized bonds occur in every example of resonance bonding, as they contain electrons that are free to move about in the structure and thus allowing different lewis structures to be draw representing the same molecule.

[Clara Cho 2K]

Does a delocalized bond make the molecule more reactive?