Chemical structure and color

option: food chemistry higher level chemistry international baccalaureate

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review: anthocyanins carotenoids chlorophyll heme delocalization of electrons

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colors are due to the absorption of visible light. what absorbs visible light?

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conjugated system

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We have seen that chemicals appear colored because they absorb visible light. Light in this region of the spectrum can produce electronic transition in organic molecules.
Chromophores are unsaturated groups which absorb UV and visible radiation
The part of the molecule responsible for absorbing the radiation is called the chromophore, and generally includes unsaturated groups such as C C, C O, N N , NO2 and the benzene ring. A compound is more likely to absorb visible light and appear colored when it contains a conjugated system of alternate C C and C C bonds with the electrons delocalized over a larger area.

A conjugated system of sp2 hybridized carbon atoms. The p orbitals can overlap to form an extended delocalized system of electrons.
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The sp2 hybridized carbon atoms each have a p orbital which overlap to form an extended system. Benzene rings and other double bonds can also form part of a conjugate system. The wavelength which corresponds to maximum absorbance for some chromophores is shown in the table below. Chromophore C C C O C C C C max/nm 175 190 and 280 210 190 and 260 The relationship between the wavelength of the radiation absorbed and the length of the conjugated system can be explained using the wave model of the electron. The wavelength of the light absorbed increases in the same way, and for essentially the same reason, that a guitar string produces a lower note as its length increases.

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anthocyanins

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carotenoids

-carotene

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chlorophyll

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heme

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porphins
The porphyrin ring is an extended system and so absorbs visible light
Both chlorophyll and heme contain a planar heterocyclic porphyrin ring whose structure contains a cyclic system of conjugated double bonds.

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Exercises
1. The structure and color of two related molecules are shown below. Molecule A Molecule B

colorless

blue

(a) Identify the hybridization of the carbon atoms * in both molecules. (b) Identify the molecule which has the largest extended system of electrons. (c) Identify the molecule that absorbs light of the longer wavelength. (d) Use the color wheel to deduce which colors are absorbed by A and B. (e) Explain the different colors of the two compounds.

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