Lone pair valence

Lewis and valenceA Lewis structure shows the valence electrons in a molecule. Two shared electrons form a structures single bond, with correspondingly more for multiple bonds. Some atoms may also have nonbonding electrons (lone-pairs). Valence structures show the bonds simply as lines. 

Lone pairs. Valence electrons that are not involved in covalent bond formation. (9.4)... 

Eor example, water (H2O) has two bonded and two lone pair valence electrons about the central atom, oxygen. Its electronic geometry, determined by four total groups, is tetrahedral, and its molecular geometry (meaning the El-O-El shape) is bent. Similarly, the NEl3 molecule has three... 

A description of covalent bond formation in terms of atomic orbital overlap is called the valence bond method. The creation of a covalent bond in the valence bond method is normally based on the overlap of half-filled orbitals, but sometimes such an overlap involves a filled orbital on one atom and an empty orbital on another. The valence bond method gives a localized electron model of bonding Core electrons and lone-pair valence electrons retain the same orbital locations as in the separated atoms, but the bonding electrons do not. Instead, they are described by an electron probability density that includes the region of orbital overlap and both nuclei. 

The elements of Period 2 (Li—F) cannot have a co valency greater than 4, because not more than four orbitals are available for bonding. In Period 3 (Na—Cl) similar behaviour would be expected, and indeed the molecule SiH4 is tetrahedral like that of CH4, and PH3 is like NH3 with a lone pair occupying one tetrahedral position. 

Basis sets can be extended indefinitely. The highest MOs in anions and weakly bound lone pairs, for instance, are very diffuse maybe more so than the most diffuse basis functions in a spht valence basis set. In this case, extra diffuse functions must be added to give a diffuse augmented basis set. An early example of such a basis set is 6-31+G [26]. Basis sets may also be split more than once and have many sets of polarization functions. 

Substituent effects on intermediates can also be analyzed by MO methods. Take, for example, methyl cations where adjacent substituents with lone pairs of electrons can form 71 bonds, as can be expressed in either valence bond or MO terminology. 

This difference is due to the two lone pairs on the oxygen. Of the six valence electrons on the oxygen atom, two are involved in the double bond with the carbon, and the other four exist as two lone pairs. In Chapter 4, we ll examine the IR spectra for these two molecules. The orbitals suggest that we ll find very different frequencies for the two systems. In Chapter 9, we ll look at the transition to the first excited state in formaldehyde. ... 

Diffuse functions are large-size versions of s- and p-type functions (as opposed to the standard valence-size functions). They allow orbitals to occupy a larger region of spgce. Basis sets with diffuse functions are important for systems where electrons are relatively far from the nucleus molecules with lone pairs, anions and other systems with significant negative charge, systems in their excited states, systems with low ionization potentials, descriptions of absolute acidities, and so on. 

No completely general and quantitative theory of the stereochemical activity of the lone-pair of electrons in complex halides of tervalent As, Sb and Bi has been developed but certain trends are discernible. The lone-pair becomes less decisive in modifying the stereochemistry (a) with increase in the coordination number of the central atom from 4 through 5 to 6, (b) with increase in the atomic weight of the central atom (As > Sb > Bi), and (c) with increa.se in the atomic weight of the halogen (F > Cl > Br > 1). The relative energies of the various valence-Ievel orbitals may also be an important factor the F(a) orbital of F lies well below both the s and the p valence... 

The same is true for the nitrogen atom in ammonia, which has three covalent N-H bonds and two nonbonding electrons (a lone pair). Atomic nitrogen has five valence electrons, and the ammonia nitrogen also has five—one in each of three shared N-H bonds plus two in the lone pair. Thus, the nitrogen atom in ammonia has no formal charge. 

To express the calculations in a general way, the formal charge on an atom is equal to the number of valence electrons in a neutral, isolated atom minus the number of electrons owned by that atom in a molecule. The number of electrons in the bonded atom, in turn, is equal to half the number of bonding electrons plus the nonbonding, lone-pair electrons. 

Lone-pair electrons (Section 1.4) Nonbonding valence-shell electron pairs. Lone-pair electrons are used by nucleophiles in their reactions with electrophiles. 

Until about 20 years ago, the valence bond model discussed in Chapter 7 was widely used to explain electronic structure and bonding in complex ions. It assumed that lone pairs of electrons were contributed by ligands to form covalent bonds with metal atoms. This model had two major deficiencies. It could not easily explain the magnetic properties of complex ions. 

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