Conformations of Cyclohexane

Jul 25, 2022, 16:45 IST

About Conformations of Cyclohexane

The cyclic compounds most commonly found in nature contain six-membered rings because such rings can exist in a conformation that is almost completely free of strain. This conformation is called the chair conformation. In the chair conformer of cyclohexane, all the bond angles are 111°, which is very close to the ideal tetrahedral bond angle of 109.5°, and all the adjacent bonds are staggered. 

Each carbon has an axial bond and an equatorial bond. The axial bonds are vertical and alternate above and below the ring. The axial bond on one of the uppermost carbons is up, the next is down, the next is up, and so on. The equatorial bonds point outward from the ring. Because the bond angles are greater than 90°, the equatorial bonds are on a slant. If the axial bond points up, the equatorial bond on the same carbon is on a downward slant. If the axial bond points down, the equatorial bond on the same carbon is on an upward slant.

Cyclohexane can also exist in a boat conformation, Like the chair conformer, the boat conformer is free of angle strain. However, the boat conformer is not as stable as the chair conformer because some of the bonds in the boat conformer are eclipsed, giving it torsional strain. The boat conformer is further destabilized by the close proximity of the flagpole hydrogens (the hydrogens at the “bow” and “stern” of the boat), which causes steric strain.

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