Formaldehyde bonding molecular orbitals

The 7i bonding molecular orbital of formaldehyde (HCHO). The electron pair of the n bond occupies both lobes. 

Co2(CO)q system, reveals that the reactions proceed through mononuclear transition states and intermediates, many of which have established precedents. The major pathway requires neither radical intermediates nor free formaldehyde. The observed rate laws, product distributions, kinetic isotope effects, solvent effects, and thermochemical parameters are accounted for by the proposed mechanistic scheme. Significant support of the proposed scheme at every crucial step is provided by a new type of semi-empirical molecular-orbital calculation which is parameterized via known bond-dissociation energies. The results may serve as a starting point for more detailed calculations. Generalization to other transition-metal catalyzed systems is not yet possible. 

The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) in formaldehyde and heteroaldehydes, H2C=E, is the lone pair at E (nE), and the second highest MO (SOMO) is the C=E 77-bonding orbital. The LUMO is the 77 CE orbital composed of the antibonding combination of pz(C) and pz(E). The ionization energy of the HOMO in formaldehyde is 10.88 eV and of the SOMO 14.5 eV, as determined by photoelectron spectroscopy.33 The ionization energy of the HOMO and the SOMO both decrease considerably when the oxygen atom in formaldehyde is replaced by sulfur or selenium (see Fig. 1, data are compiled from Refs. 33-37). 

For hydrogen bonds weaker than OH 0=C or NH 0=C, theory predicts smaller differences in the X-H bond lengths and negligible changes in the nonhydrogen bonds. TWo models have been studied theoretically with the ab-initio molecular orbital method at the HF/3-21G level of approximation. These are formaldehyde oxime cyclic dimer versus the monomer [378] and formaldehyde hydrazone cyclic dimer versus the monomer [379]. Except for the O-H and N-H bonds, these differences are too small to be detected by single crystal X-ray or neutron diffraction methods, as shown in Fig. 5.2. 

Fukui et al. studied the bond interchange in the course of ammonia addition to formaldehyde by means of a localized molecular orbital method, based on the analysis of the semiempirical INDO molecular orbitals of the isolated molecules and of the reacting system [127], Here, the N... C = 0 angle was fixed at 107°, since preliminary calculations gave results in fairly good agreement with the experimental reaction path, i.e. the Biirgi-Dunitz trajectory. 

This rule states that all bonds being made or broken in a concerted reaction should preferably be coplanar and aligned in a trans, anti geometry relative to each other. The explanation for this lies in the molecular orbitals involved. As illustrative examples, let us look first at the Prins addition of formaldehyde to 1,1-dimethylbuta-1,3-diene (5.39) and then at the elimination of water from an alcohol. 

As another example of the use of symmetry as a classifying and simplifying device in valence theory we will discuss formaldehyde. In this case we will not only consider the ir electrons but also the molecular orbitals,. and the nonbonding orbitals. The formaldehyde molecule belongs to C20 symmetry and the C—O bond direction is chosen parallel to the z axis and the molecular plane as yz. There are 12 electrons in the valence shell of formaldehyde Ha(.is), C(2s2p ), 0(2s"2p ). The... 

Molecular orbital modeling of the reaction of organolithium compounds with carbonyl groups has examined the interaction of formaldehyde with the dimer of methyllithium. The reaction is predicted to proceed by initial complexation of the carbonyl group at lithium, followed by a rate-determining step involving formation of the new carbon-carbon bond. The cluster then reorganizes to incorporate the newly formed alkoxide ion. ... 

In contrast to VBT, "full-blown" MOT considers the electrons in molecules to occupy molecular orbitals that are formed by linear combinations (addition and subtraction) of all the atomic orbitals on all the atoms in the structure. In MOT, electrons are not confined to an individual atom plus the bonding region with another atom. Instead, electrons are contained in MOs that are highly delocalized—spread across the entire molecule. MOT does not create discrete and localized bonds between neighboring atoms. An immediate benefit of MOT over VBT is its treatment of conjugated tt systems. We don t need a "patch" like resonance to explain the structure of a carboxylate anion or of benzene it falls naturally out of the delocalized nature of the MOs. The MO models of simple molecules like ethylene or formaldehyde also lead to bonding concepts that are pervasive in organic chemistry. 

The carbon-oxygen double bond in aldehydes and ketones is similar and can be described in either of these two ways. If we adopt the iocalised-orbital description, formaldehyde will have two directed lone pairs in place of two of the C-H bonds in ethylene. In this case the axes of these hybrid orbitals will be in the molecular plane (unlike the oxygen lone pairs in water). Either the components of the double bond or the lone pairs can be transformed back into symmetry forms. The alternative description of the lone pairs would he one er-type along the 0-0 direction and one jr-type with axis perpendicular to the 0-0 bond hut in the molecular plane. It is the latter orbital which has the highest energy, so that an electron is removed from it in. ionisation or excitation to the lowest excited state. 

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