Extent of electron delocalization

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-004264",
  "term": "Extent of electron delocalization",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "A qualitative or quantitative description of the spatial spread of electron density over multiple atoms within a molecule or material. In conjugated polymers, this phenomenon arises from overlapping p-orbitals along the polymer backbone, allowing electrons to move along that segment. The extent is quantified by the delocalization length or effective conjugation length, which correlates with properties like electrical conductivity and the wavelength of light absorption.",
  "synonyms": [
    "effective conjugation length"
  ],
  "subject": "Polymer",
  "see_also": [
    "delocalization of electrons"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2022, 94, 15. 'Glossary of terms relating to electronic, photonic and magnetic properties of polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 31 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2020-0501)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/extent-of-electron-delocalization/"
}