Covalent bonds molecular orbital model

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

Still another model to represent the bonding that takes place in covalent compounds is the molecular orbital theory. In the molecular orbital (MO) theory of covalent bonding, atomic orbitals (AOs) on the individual atoms combine to form orbitals that encompass the... 

The valence bond model of covalent bonding is easy to visualize and leads to a satisfactory description for most molecules. It does, however, have some problems. Perhaps the most serious flaw in the valence bond model is that it sometimes leads to an incorrect electronic description. For this reason, another bonding description called molecular orbital (MO) theory is often used. The molecular orbital model is more complex than the valence bond model, particularly for larger molecules, but sometimes gives a more satisfactory accounting of chemical and physical properties. 

Before leaving this brief introduction to molecular orbital theory, it is worth stressing one point. This model constructs a series of new molecular orbitals by the combination of metal and ligand orbitals, and it is fundamental to the scheme that the ligand energy levels and bonding are, and must be, altered upon co-ordination. Whilst the crystal field model probably over-emphasises the ionic contribution to the metal-ligand interaction, the molecular orbital models probably over-emphasise the covalent nature. 

This conclusion is further strengthened considerably by the theoretical calculation of CBE originally performed by Pearson and Gray (102) and later on somewhat modified by Pearson and Mawby (8). Values of CBE are calculated according to three models, viz. the hard sphere model, the polarizable ion model and the localized molecular orbital model. Only the last one, treating the bonds as covalent, is able to account in a satisfactory way for the values found experimentally for such halides as HgCl2 and CdCl2. For LiCl and NaCl, on the other hand, an acceptable fit with the experimental values is obtained already by the hard sphere model, which certainly indicates a predominantly electrostatic interaction. 

In this section, we consider a third approach to the bonding in metal complexes the use of molecular orbital theory. In contrast to crystal field theory, the molecular orbital model considers covalent interactions between the metal centre and ligands. 

In 1962, Sugano showed that the Seitz model (115) could be interpreted as a molecular orbital model (123), an interpretation that clarifies analysis of these systems. In this interpretation, the absorption bands observed in the TI(I) doped alkali halide system come from the electronic transition aigf a g) hu), but the excited states are still calculated assuming an ionic interaction between the metal and the hgand. Since the thallium-chlorine bond is actually largely covalent, Bramanti et al. (118) modified the approach and used a semiempirical molecular orbital (MO) calculation to describe the energy levels of T1(I) doped KCl. Molecular orbitals were constructed by the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) method from the 6s and 6p metal orbitals and the 3p chlorine orbitals. Initial calculations were conducted with the one-electron approximation the method was then expanded to include Coulomb and spin-orbit interactions. The results of Bramanti et al. were consistent with experimental... 

We have seen that the crystal-field model provides a basis for explaining many features of transition-metal complexes. In fact, it can be used to explain many observations in addition to those we have discussed. Many lines of evidence show, however, that the bonding between transition-metal ions and ligands must have some covalent character. Molecular-orbital theory (Sections 9.7 and 9.8) can also be used to describe the bonding in complexes, although the application of molecular-orbital theory to coordination compounds is beyond the scope of our discussion. The crystal-field model, although not entirely accurate in all details, provides an adequate and useful first description of the electronic structure of complexes. 

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. 

This discrepancy between experiment and theory (and many others) can be explained in terms of an alternative model of covalent bonding, the molecular orbital (MO) approach. Molecular orbital theory treats bonds in terms of orbitals characteristic of the molecule as a whole. To apply this approach, we carry out three basic operations. 

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