![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Nonane_3D_spacefill.png/640px-Nonane_3D_spacefill.png&w=640&q=50)
Catenation
Bonding of atoms of the same element into chains or rings / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In chemistry, catenation is the bonding of atoms of the same element into a series, called a chain.[1] A chain or a ring shape may be open if its ends are not bonded to each other (an open-chain compound), or closed if they are bonded in a ring (a cyclic compound). The words to catenate and catenation reflect the Latin root catena, "chain".
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Nonane_3D_spacefill.png/640px-Nonane_3D_spacefill.png)