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Notice: For a full understanding of this article, it is important to read and understand the article on orbital hybridization.
An sp2 bond is any bond which involves an sp2 orbital. sp2 orbitals are the result of the hybridization of an s orbital with two p orbitals, to produce 3 sp2 hybrids. While nearly any atom can make an sp2 hybridized orbital, the most common example is carbon due to the large number of alkenes that exist. However, the concept can be applied to any atom which forms at least three or more bonds.
sp2 hybridization most commonly occurs in cases where a double bond is going to be formed (as stated above, alkenes are the most frequent example). Because hybridized orbitals only create σ bonds a p-type orbital is used for the π bond.
The geometry of an sp2 hybridized atom is trigonal planar, akin to the shape of an equilateral triangle. All three groups that occupy hybridized orbitals lie in the same plane, with all octet rule following atoms having a p-type orbital perpendicular to the plane.
See also
- Trigonal Planar configuration (http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/203trigplanar.html)
- Molecular geometry (http://library.thinkquest.org/10429/low/geometry/geometry.htm)
- orbital hybridization
- Molecular geometry
- Electron configuration