Pi Bonds

[Cyianna 2F]

What does it mean when a pi bond is delocalized?

[Rachel Formaker 1E]

When a pi bond is delocalized, it is not restricted between two atoms. The electrons are spread out over several atoms in a molecule, giving the affected bonds characteristics (length and strength) between a double and single bond.

For example, in benzene (C₆H₆) there are 3 pi bonds delocalized around the carbon ring, so the 6 carbon-carbon bonds have a bond length and strength between those of a single and those of a double bond.

[Sophia Bozone 2G]

It is related to the idea of resonance structures. If a molecule can have a pi bond in multiple places, we know that it does not actually have different kinds of bonds, but rather, all the bonds are an average of all the bonds in the structure. This can be seen in Benzene. So because one pi bond is in different locations all the time, it is referred to as delocalized.