Covalent bonding valence bond theory

How does electron sharing lead to bonding between atoms Two models have been developed to describe covalent bonding valence bond theory and molecular orbital theory. Each model has its strengths and weaknesses, and chemists tend... 

We said in Section 1.5 that chemists use two models for describing covalent bonds valence bond theory and molecular orbital theory. Having now seen the valence bond approach, which uses hybrid atomic orbitals to account for geometry and assumes the overlap of atomic orbitals to account for electron sharing, let s look briefly at the molecular orbital approach to bonding. We ll return to the topic in Chapters 14 and 15 for a more in-depth discussion. 

Lewis s theory of the chemical bond was brilliant, but it was little more than guesswork inspired by insight. Lewis had no way of knowing why an electron pair was so important for the formation of covalent bonds. Valence-bond theory explained the importance of the electron pair in terms of spin-pairing but it could not explain the properties of some molecules. Molecular orbital theory, which is also based on quantum mechanics and was introduced in the late 1920s by Mul-liken and Hund, has proved to be the most successful theory of the chemical bond it overcomes all the deficiencies of Lewis s theory and is easier to use in calculations than valence-bond theory. 

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."... 

L. Pauling and Z. S. Herman, The unsynchronized-resonating-covalent-bond theory of metals, alloys, and intermetallic compounds, in Valence Bond Theory and Chemical Structure, D. J. Klein and N. Trinastic, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1990, pp. 569-610. 

To systematize the structural problems of the so-called compounds of higher order he reconsidered valency. Thus, he advanced the idea of Hauptvalenz and Nebenvalenz, which could be said to contain the image of modern ionic and covalent bonding theory. Furthermore, he visualized the valence bond not as small sticks existing around atoms in a plane, as conceived by Kekul6, but as positions taken by bond arms on the surfaces of spherical atoms in three dimensions. Could this idea not be a precursor to the modern conception of bond orbitals ... 

This chapter walks you through the evolution of covalent bond theory, starting with the Lewis dot structures you likely covered in General Chemistry and then advancing to valence bond and molecular orbital theories that stem from quantum mechanics calculations. As with most chemistry, this chapter is purely about following the bouncing balls (electrons). 

We 11 begin our discussion of hydrocarbons by introducing two additional theories of covalent bonding the valence bond model and the molecular orbital model... 

The characteristic feature of valence bond theory is that it pictures a covalent bond between two atoms in terms of an m phase overlap of a half filled orbital of one atom with a half filled orbital of the other illustrated for the case of H2 m Figure 2 3 Two hydrogen atoms each containing an electron m a Is orbital combine so that their orbitals overlap to give a new orbital associated with both of them In phase orbital overlap (con structive interference) increases the probability of finding an electron m the region between the two nuclei where it feels the attractive force of both of them... 

In valence bond theory a covalent bond is described m terms of m phase overlap of a half filled orbital of one atom with a half filled orbital of another When applied to bonding m H2 the orbitals involved are the Is orbitals of two hydrogen atoms and the bond is a ct bond... 

The concepts of directed valence and orbital hybridization were developed by Linus Pauling soon after the description of the hydrogen molecule by the valence bond theory. These concepts were applied to an issue of specific concern to organic chemistry, the tetrahedral orientation of the bonds to tetracoordinate carbon. Pauling reasoned that because covalent bonds require mutual overlap of orbitals, stronger bonds would result from better overlap. Orbitals that possess directional properties, such as p orbitals, should therefore be more effective than spherically symmetric 5 orbitals. 

A covalent bond is formed when an electron pair is shared between atoms. According to valence bond theory, electron sharing occurs by overlap of two atomic orbitals. According to molecular orbital (MO) theory, bonds result from the mathematical combination of atomic orbitals to give molecular orbitals, which belong to the entire molecule. Bonds that have a circular cross-section and are formed by head-on interaction are called sigma (cr) bonds bonds formed by sideways interaction ot p orbitals are called pi (77-) bonds. 

Valence bond theory (Section 1.5) A bonding theory that describes a covalent bond as resulting from the overlap of two atomic orbitals. 

Notice that the beryllium atom has no unpaired electrons, the boron atom has one, and the carbon atom two. Simple valence bond theory would predict that Be, like He, should not form covalent bonds. A boron atom should form one bond, carbon two. Experience tells us that these predictions are wrong. Beryllium forms two bonds in BeF2 boron forms three bonds in BF3. Carbon ordinarily forms four bonds, not two. 

In Chapter 7, we used valence bond theory to explain bonding in molecules. It accounts, at least qualitatively, for the stability of the covalent bond in terms of the overlap of atomic orbitals. By invoking hybridization, valence bond theory can account for the molecular geometries predicted by electron-pair repulsion. Where Lewis structures are inadequate, as in S02, the concept of resonance allows us to explain the observed properties. 

The modem theory of valency is not simple—it is not possible to assign in an unambiguous way definite valencies to the various atoms in a molecule or crystal. It is instead necessary to dissociate the concept of valency into several new concepts—ionic valency, covalency, metallic valency, oxidation number—that are capable of more precise treatment and even these more precise concepts in general involve an approximation, the complete description of the bonds between the atoms in a molecule or crystal being given only by a detailed discussion of its electronic structure. Nevertheless, these concepts, of ionic valency, covalency, etc., have been found to be so useful as to justify our considering them as constituting the modern theory of valency. 

Successive pivoting resonances of a covalent bond allows for electrical conduction to occur, as shown in Figure 1-1. A test of this theory was provided by gray and white tin. Gray tin is not metallic because all its valence orbitals are used for bonding and there is no metallic orbital available. White tin, on the other hand, has the metallic orbital available and therefore has metallic properties. 

The development during the past year of a statistical theory of unsynchronized resonance of covalent bonds in a metal, with atoms restricted by the electroneutrality principle to forming bonds only in number u — 1, u, and v + 1, with u the metallic valence, has led directly to the value 0.70 0.02 for the number of metallic orbitals per atom.39 This theory also has led to the conclusions that stability of a metal or alloy increases with increase in the ligancy and that for a given value of the ligancy, stability is a maxi-... 

A roughly equivalent valence-bond theory would result from allowing the 2s electron of each lithium atom to be involved in the formation of a covalent bond with one of the neighbouring atoms. The wave function for the crystal would be... 

ABSTRACT The statistical treatment of resonating covalent bonds in metals, previously applied to hypoelectronic metals, is extended to hyperelectronic metals and to metals with two kinds of bonds. The theory leads to half-integral values of the valence for hyperelectronic metallic elements. 

A theory of resonating covalent bonds in metals, developed over the period 1938-1953 (1-3), was recently refined by the formulation of a statistical treatment for hypoelectronic metals (4). We have now extended the statistical treatment to include hyperelectronic metals. This extension has resulted not only in the evaluation of the number of resonance structures for these metals but also in the determination for them of the values of the metallic valence, which have been somewhat uncertain. 

Frequently, directionality is a property attributed to the covalent bond which supposedly is taken to be the cause of the resulting structures. However, as the success of the valence electron pair repulsion theory shows, there exists no need to assume any orbitals directed a priori. The concept of directed orbitals is based on calculations in which hybridization is used as a mathematical aid. The popular use of hybridization models occasionally has created the false impression that hybridization is some kind of process occurring prior to bond formation and committing stereochemistry. 

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