Chemistry: What’s a Chromophore?
One online definition of chromophore is "an atom or group whose presence is responsible for the color of a compound." Although one may think of a chromophore that includes a metal atom such as copper, nickel, or cobalt, in organic chemistry a chromophore is more likely to consist of a collection of carbon-carbon multiple bonds, perhaps with modifying features. It is the organic variety we discuss in this article. Multiple Bonds Most organic compounds incorporate one or more of three carbon-to-carbon bond varieties: single bonds, double bonds, triple bonds. When drawing a basic organic compound, these are usually represented by: C–C, C=C, and C≡C, respectively. Although such notations are quite useful, they afford little information concerning bond nature and behavior. Bond Hybridization The best working hypothesis for bonding between atoms…