singlebonded

Singlebonded is a term used in chemistry and materials science to describe molecules, bonds, or systems in which all covalent links between atoms are single bonds, i.e., sigma bonds formed by sharing one pair of electrons. This contrasts with structures that contain double or triple bonds. In practice, many organic and inorganic species are described as singlebonded if their connectivity includes only single bonds, such as saturated hydrocarbons, certain ethers, alcohols, and polymers with a carbon skeleton linked by C–C and C–H single bonds.

Single bonds form by end-on overlap of orbital lobes along the internuclear axis and allow rotation around the bond, giving conformational flexibility. They are generally weaker than double or triple bonds; typical covalent bond energies are on the order of hundreds of kilojoules per mole (for example, C–C around 340–350 kJ/mol, C–H about 410 kJ/mol).

Examples include methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), and polyethylene chains, which consist of long sequences of carbon atoms linked by single bonds. Compounds lacking C=C or C≡C bonds, such as alkanes, are described as saturated and are often termed singlebonded in contrast to unsaturated species. In chemistry and materials science, the prevalence of single bonds influences properties such as conformational freedom, rigidity, and chemical reactivity; single-bonded networks typically allow more rotation and can exhibit different mechanical behavior compared to networks with multiple bonds.

See also: covalent bond, sigma bond, alkane, saturated hydrocarbon, polymer.