9. Cubane and its derivatives have been considered for use as explosives and as materials for energy storage. The heat of combustion of cubane is = -1156.0 kcal/mol. The heat of combustion of your average, strainless methine group is -124 kcal/mol. Calculate the strain energy of cubane. What structural features contribute to the molecule's strain? H-C cubane a methine group

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**Topic: Cubane and Its Strain Energy**

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**Cubane: Structure and Strain Energy**

Cubane and its derivatives have been considered for use as explosives and as materials for energy storage. The heat of combustion of cubane is -1156.0 kcal/mol. The heat of combustion of your average, strainless methine group is -124 kcal/mol. Calculate the strain energy of cubane. What structural features contribute to the molecule’s strain?

**Structural Representations:**

1. **Cubane:**
   ![Cubane](https://example.com/path/to/cubane.png) (Replace with actual URL)
   
   Cubane consists of a cubic structure, with each corner representing a carbon atom. This shape is highly unusual in organic chemistry for such small molecules because of the angles involved.

2. **Methine Group:**
   ![Methine Group](https://example.com/path/to/methine-group.png) (Replace with actual URL)

   A methine group consists of one carbon atom bonded to three other groups and one hydrogen. It is typically unstrained in its standard tetrahedral configuration.

**Explanation:**

Cubane features significant ring strain due to its cubic structure, forcing bond angles to 90° instead of the more natural 109.5° for sp3 hybridized carbons. This deviation from ideal angles results in a high strain energy, contributing to both its high heat of combustion and potential use in high-energy applications.

To calculate the strain energy of cubane, compare the total heat of combustion of cubane with the combustion heat of an equivalent number of strain-free methine groups:

\[ \text{Strain Energy of Cubane} = \text{Heat of Combustion of Cubane} - (8 \times \text{Heat of Combustion of a Methine Group}) \]

Given:
\[ \text{Heat of Combustion of Cubane} = -1156.0 \text{ kcal/mol} \]
\[ \text{Heat of Combustion of Methine Group} = -124 \text{ kcal/mol} \]

Calculating:
\[ \text{Strain Energy of Cubane} = -1156.0 \text{ kcal/mol} - (8 \times -124 \text{ kcal/mol}) \]
\[ \text{Strain Energy of Cubane} = -1156.0 \text{ kcal/mol} - (-992 \text
Transcribed Image Text:**Topic: Cubane and Its Strain Energy** --- **Cubane: Structure and Strain Energy** Cubane and its derivatives have been considered for use as explosives and as materials for energy storage. The heat of combustion of cubane is -1156.0 kcal/mol. The heat of combustion of your average, strainless methine group is -124 kcal/mol. Calculate the strain energy of cubane. What structural features contribute to the molecule’s strain? **Structural Representations:** 1. **Cubane:** ![Cubane](https://example.com/path/to/cubane.png) (Replace with actual URL) Cubane consists of a cubic structure, with each corner representing a carbon atom. This shape is highly unusual in organic chemistry for such small molecules because of the angles involved. 2. **Methine Group:** ![Methine Group](https://example.com/path/to/methine-group.png) (Replace with actual URL) A methine group consists of one carbon atom bonded to three other groups and one hydrogen. It is typically unstrained in its standard tetrahedral configuration. **Explanation:** Cubane features significant ring strain due to its cubic structure, forcing bond angles to 90° instead of the more natural 109.5° for sp3 hybridized carbons. This deviation from ideal angles results in a high strain energy, contributing to both its high heat of combustion and potential use in high-energy applications. To calculate the strain energy of cubane, compare the total heat of combustion of cubane with the combustion heat of an equivalent number of strain-free methine groups: \[ \text{Strain Energy of Cubane} = \text{Heat of Combustion of Cubane} - (8 \times \text{Heat of Combustion of a Methine Group}) \] Given: \[ \text{Heat of Combustion of Cubane} = -1156.0 \text{ kcal/mol} \] \[ \text{Heat of Combustion of Methine Group} = -124 \text{ kcal/mol} \] Calculating: \[ \text{Strain Energy of Cubane} = -1156.0 \text{ kcal/mol} - (8 \times -124 \text{ kcal/mol}) \] \[ \text{Strain Energy of Cubane} = -1156.0 \text{ kcal/mol} - (-992 \text
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