Carbon monoxide atomic models

The FTS mechanism could be considered a simple polymerization reaction, the monomer being a Ci species derived from carbon monoxide. This polymerization follows an Anderson-Schulz-Flory distribution of molecular weights. This distribution gives a linear plot of the logarithm of yield of product (in moles) versus carbon number. Under the assumptions of this model, the entire product distribution is determined by one parameter, a, the probability of the addition of a carbon atom to a chain (Figure 4-7). ... 

With respect to the thermodynamic stability of metal clusters, there is a plethora of results which support the spherical Jellium model for the alkalis as well as for other metals, like copper. This appears to be the case for cluster reactivity, at least for etching reactions, where electronic structure dominates reactivity and minor anomalies are attributable to geometric influence. These cases, however, illustrate a situation where significant addition or diminution of valence electron density occurs via loss or gain of metal atoms. A small molecule, like carbon monoxide,... 

The interaction between olefin and catalytic complex can be investigated according to the above model by rotating the olefin around the axis joining the middle of the double bond with the metal atom. It appears that the (a) position is favored over the (b) position. The hydrogen would preferentially attack the re face of the carbon atom 2 and the carbon monoxide the si face of the carbon atom 3, yielding preferentially the (S) -2-methylbutanal. 

Exercise 16-1 Draw valence-bond structures and an atomic-orbital model for carbon monoxide. Why can the bond energy of this molecule be expected to be higher than for other carbonyl compounds (see Table 16-1) Explain why the dipole moment of CO is very small (0.13 debye).,... 

What effect do shocks have on the gas phase synthesis of complex interstellar molecules This question has been investigated at least for hydrocarbons through six carbon atoms in complexity by Mitchell (1983, 1984). He has found that if a shock passes through a dense cloud where much of the carbon is already in the form of carbon monoxide, complex hydrocarbons are not formed in high abundance. However, if a shock passes through a diffuse cloud, of density approximately 103 cm-3, where much of the cosmic abundance of carbon is in the form of C+ and to a lesser extent C, a different scenario is present. As the shock cools, the C+ and C, which remain in appreciable abundance for up to 10s yrs after the shock passage, react via many of the reactions discussed above as well as others to produce a rich hydrocarbon chemistry. The net effect is that large abundances of hydrocarbons build up as the cloud cools and eventually reaches a gas density of 3 x 104 cm-3. Do these results bear any relation to the results obtained from ambient gas phase models In both types of calculations, hydrocarbon chemistry appears to require the presence of C+ and/or C both to synthesize one-carbon hydrocarbons such as methane and then, via insertion reactions, to produce more complex hydrocarbon species. Condensation reactions do not appear to be sufficient. 

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