Section: 9 | Characteristic Bond Lengths in Free Molecules |

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CHARACTERISTIC BOND LENGTHS IN FREE MOLECULES

David R. Lide

These tables contain typical bond lengths in gas-phase molecules. The value given for each bond is near the mid-range of values found in simple molecules. Bond lengths usually vary by 1% or 2%, and often by more, depending on the nature of the other bonds attached to the two atoms in question. References 1 and 2 give measured bond lengths in individual gas-phase molecules, as determined by spectroscopic and electron diffraction methods. All bond lengths are given in Å (1 Å = 10^–10 m).

Table 1 contains data for characteristic bond lengths for single bonds between select atoms. Table 2 has bond lengths for multiple bonds for non-ring molecules. Table 3 shows the effect of other bonds on the carbon-carbon single bond, and Table 4 has data for select metal-carbon bonds in gas-phase molecules.

References

“Structure of Free Molecules in the Gas Phase,” CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 102nd Edition, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2021.
Harmony, M. D., Laurie, V. W., Kuczkowski, R. L., Schwendeman, R. H., Ramsay, D. A., Lovas, F. J., Lafferty, W. J., and Maki, A. G., J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 8, 619, 1979. [https://doi.org/10.1063/1.555605]
Lide, D. R., Tetrahedron 17, 125, 1962. [https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4020(01)99012-X]

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TABLE 1. Characteristic Lengths (in Å) of Single Bonds

	As	B	Br	C	Cl	F	Ge	H	I	N	O	P	S	Se	Si
As	2.10
Br	2.32	1.89	2.28
C	1.98	1.58	1.93	1.53
Cl	2.17	1.74	2.14	1.77	1.99
F	1.71	1.31	1.76	1.35	1.63	1.41
Ge			2.30	1.95	2.15	1.73	2.40
H	1.51	1.19	1.41	1.09	1.28	0.92	1.53	0.74
I		2.12	2.47	2.13	2.32	1.91	2.51	1.61	2.67
N		1.39		1.46	1.90	1.37		1.02		1.45
O		1.35		1.42	1.70	1.42		0.96		1.43	1.48
P		1.94	2.22	1.85	2.04	1.57		1.42		1.65		2.25
S			2.24	1.82	2.05	1.56		1.34					2.00
Sb			2.49		2.33	1.88		1.70	2.27
Se				1.95		1.71		1.47						2.33
Si			2.21	1.87	2.05	1.58		1.48	2.44		1.63		2.14		2.33
Sn			2.50	2.14	2.30	1.94		1.71	2.67
Te						1.82		1.66

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TABLE 2. Lengths of Multiple Bonds (Non-Ring Molecules)

Bond	Length/Å
C═C	1.34
C≡C	1.20
C═N	1.21
C≡N	1.16
C═O	1.21
C═S	1.61
N═N	1.24
N≡N	1.13
N═O	1.18
O═O	1.21
S═S	1.89
S═O	1.48
Se═Se	2.17
Se═O	1.65

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TABLE 3. Effect of Environment on Carbon-Carbon Single-Bond Lengths (Other Single Bonds Not Shown) from Ref. 3

Configuration	C─C Length/Å	Examples of molecules
C─C	1.526	H₃C─CH₃
C─C═	1.501	H₃C─CH═CH₂
C─C≡	1.459	H₃C─C≡CH
═C─C═	1.467	H₂C═CH─CH═CH₂
≡C─C═	1.445	HC≡C─CH═CH₂
≡C─C≡	1.378	HC≡C─C≡CH

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TABLE 4. Metal-Carbon Bond Lengths in Gas-Phase Molecules

Bond	Length/Å
Al─C	1.96
Be─C	1.70
Bi─C	2.26
Cd─C	2.11
Co─C	1.88
Cr─C	1.92^*
Cu─C	1.83
Fe─C	1.82^*
Hg─C	2.08
Mo─C	2.06^*
Ni─C	1.83
Pb─C	2.24
Sn─C	2.14
V─C	2.02^*
W─C	2.06^*
Zn─C	1.93

^*In carbonyl molecules.

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CHARACTERISTIC BOND LENGTHS IN FREE MOLECULES

References

TABLE 1. Characteristic Lengths (in Å) of Single Bonds

TABLE 2. Lengths of Multiple Bonds (Non-Ring Molecules)

TABLE 3. Effect of Environment on Carbon-Carbon Single-Bond Lengths (Other Single Bonds Not Shown) from Ref. 3

TABLE 4. Metal-Carbon Bond Lengths in Gas-Phase Molecules

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