Valence state theory, atomic orbitals

The mode of 02 coordination was for some time a subject of controversy. It now seems settled that the ligand molecule is bonded via one O atom, with an Fe-O-O angle of c. 120°. This is consistent with the prediction of a rather crude VB description of the 02 molecule, which allocates two lone pairs to each atom the valence state of O is (sp2)2(sp2)2(sp2)1(p)1. This description is inconsistent with the observed paramagnetism of 02 (which can readily be explained in terms of MO theory). However, oxygenated haemoglobin Hb.402 is diamagnetic and we may fairly describe the Fe-0 bond in terms of a filled sp2 hybrid donor orbital from the O atom. 

For the Co atom the valence state of the orbitals s, p, d, is considered which, by the virtue of the crystalline field theory from the previous Section, are associated with the terms s Aj, p... 

Valence bond and molecular orbital theory both incorporate the wave description of an atom s electrons into this picture of H2, but in somewhat different ways. Both assume that electron waves behave like more familiar waves, such as sound and light waves. One important property of waves is called interference in physics. Constructive interference occurs when two waves combine so as to reinforce each other (in phase) destructive interference occurs when they oppose each other (out of phase) (Figure 2.2). Recall from Section 1.1 that electron waves in atoms are characterized by then- wave function, which is the same as an orbital. For an electron in the most stable state of a hydrogen atom, for example, this state is defined by the I5 wave function and is often called the I5 orbital. The valence bond model bases the connection between two atoms on the overlap between half-filled orbitals of the two atoms. The molecular orbital model assembles a set of molecular- orbitals by combining the atomic orbitals of all of the atoms in the molecule. 

In the PP theory, the valence electron wave function is composed of two parts. The main part is the pseudo-wave function describing a relatively smooth-varying behavior of the electron. The second part describes a spatially rapid oscillation of the valence electron near the atomic core. This atomic-electron-like behavior is due to the fact that, passing the vicinity of an atom, the valence electron recalls its native outermost atomic orbitals under a relatively stronger atomic potential near the core. Quantum mechanically the situation corresponds to the fact that the valence electronic state should be orthogonal to the inner-core electronic states. The second part describes this CO. The CO terms explicitly contain the information of atomic position and atomic core orbitals. 

The use of hybrid atomic orbitals in qualitative valence theory has, in the past, rested on two points (i) an empirical justification of their use involving the concept of the valence state of an atom and (ii) a simple linear transformation technique for the construction of the explicit forms of the orbitals. In this section we show that both of these points can be replaced. The justification can be replaced by a derivation and this derivation can be used to suggest variational forms which render the linear transformation technique redundant. 

An X-ray atomic orbital (XAO) [77] method has also been adopted to refine electronic states directly. The method is applicable mainly to analyse the electron-density distribution in ionic solids of transition or rare earth metals, given that it is based on an atomic orbital assumption, neglecting molecular orbitals. The expansion coefficients of each atomic orbital are calculated with a perturbation theory and the coefficients of each orbital are refined to fit the observed structure factors keeping the orthonormal relationships among them. This model is somewhat similar to the valence orbital model (VOM), earlier introduced by Figgis et al. [78] to study transition metal complexes, within the Ligand field theory approach. The VOM could be applied in such complexes, within the assumption that the metal and the... 

The choice of a single function from either set (36) or (37) does not permit such a useful physical interpretation, and may indeed lead to difficulties as the internuclear distance is varied. Thus if one chooses just the perfectly paired function from the set (36), as -R-> 00 one finds each N atom is described by a curious non-stationary state - the so-called valence state of the atom, about which there has been so much discussion in the literature.18 The choice of the set of functions (36) in which orbitals participating in a bond are directly coupled to each other is just the VB theory as proposed by Slater and Pauling,19 whereas the set (37) formed from atoms in specific L-S coupled states corresponds to the spin-valence theory employed by Heitler.20... 

Figure 9 Variation of orbital energies in HAH molecule on going from 90° bent molecule to linear molecule. The classification of states, built from s and p atomic orbitals, is discussed in the main text. The steep rise in the curve joining ai and favours the bent molecular form for H2O, whereas with four valence electrons, as in BeH2 or HgH2, the linear configuration is favoured. This argument is based on an intimate relation, which Walsh assumed, between the sum of orbital energies and total energy. Density theory in its simplest form supplies such a relation, namely equation (84). The figure is a schematic version of that of Walsh,46 who noted that the line 180° must be either a maximum or a minimum...

Many solid-state physicists discuss the structure and properties of metals and alloys with use of the band theory, in its several modifications. This theory is also a quantum mechanical theory, which starts with a solution of the wave equation for a single electron, and introduces electron-electron correlation in one or another of several ways. The resonating-valence-bond theory introduces electron-electron correlation in several stages, one of which is by the formation of covalent bonds between adjacent atoms, and another the application of the electroneutrality principle to restrict the acceptable structures to those that involve only M+, M°, and M-. It should be possible to find a relationship between the band-theory calculations and the resonating-covalent-bond theory, but I have been largely unsuccessful in finding such a correlation. I have, for example, not been able to find any trace of the metallic orbital in the band-theory calculations, which thus stand in contrast to the resonating-valence-bond theory, in which the metallic orbital plays a predominant role."... 

Valence-bond theory is over 90% successful in explaining much of the descriptive chemistry of ground states. VB theory is therefore particularly popular among chemists, since it makes use of familiar concepts such as chemical bonds between atoms, resonance hybrids and the like. It can perhaps be characterized as a theory which explains but does not predict. Valence-bond theory fails to account for the triplet ground state of O2 or for the bonding in electron-deficient molecules such as diborane, B2H6. It is not very useful in consideration of excited states, hence for spectroscopy. Many of these deficiencies are remedied by molecular orbital theory, which we take up in the next two chapters. 

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