Methyl group molecular orbitals

One way to investigate the electrophilic properties of these molecules is to examine the orbital that each uses to accept electrons from a nucleophile. This orbital is the lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Examine the LUMO for methyl acetate (Z=OCH3), acetaldehyde (Z=H), N,N-dimethylacetamide (Z=N(CH3)2) and acetyl chloride (Z=C1) (acetaldehyde is not a carboxylic acid derivative, but is included here for comparison). What is the shape of the LUMO in the region of the carbonyl group Is it a o or 7U orbital Is it bonding or antibonding What other atoms contribute to the LUMO Which bonds, if any, would be weakened when a nucleophile transfers its electrons into the LUMO ... 

CH3I should approach the enolate from the direction that simultaneously allows its optimum overlap with the electron-donor orbital on the enolate (this is the highest-occupied molecular orbital or HOMO), and minimizes its steric repulsion with the enolate. Examine the HOMO of enolate A. Is it more heavily concentrated on the same side of the six-membered ring as the bridgehead methyl group, on the opposite side, or is it equally concentrated on the two sides A map of the HOMO on the electron density surface (a HOMO map ) provides a clearer indication, as this also provides a measure of steric requirements. Identify the direction of attack that maximizes orbital overlap and minimizes steric repulsion, and predict the major product of each reaction. Do your predictions agree with the thermodynamic preferences Repeat your analysis for enolate B, leading to product B1 nd product B2. 

We discount the likelihood of reaction R5 because two metal-bonded methyl groups have no molecular orbitals readily available for reaction. These groups are sp3 hybridized with all 4 orbitals fully occupied. The lowest lying unoccupied orbital is so much higher in energy that it is inaccessible, and there arc no obvious interactions that might enable a rehybridization to lower this energy. 

Although structures involving methyl groups bonded simultaneously to two carbon atoms by means of an overlap between the hydrogen orbitals and the />-orbitals of the carbon atoms may be readily enough assimilated, the state of structural theory is such that most of the cyclic intermediate or transition state structures are dubbed non-classical. In many cases they are best depicted by molecular orbitals, usually by diagramming the component atomic orbitals in the best position for overlap. Since maximum overlap of the component atomic orbitals imposes certain geometric requirements, pre-... 

Corresponding to this valence bond view is a molecular orbital picture. The three cr-orbitals of a CH3 group are regarded as a basis from which three group orbitals may be constructed. One of the possible combinations of the tr-orbitals has the same local symmetry as the vacant p-orbital on the cationic centre, and hence may overlap with it. Therefore, a withdrawal of electrons from the methyl group can take place. The orbital from which electron density... 

X-Ray.—The crystal and molecular structure of tri-o-tolylphosphine, its oxide, sulphide, and selenide (125) have been compared. The mean P—C bond lengths appear to be determined by the n-electron density along the P—C bond and intramolecular steric interactions, d-Orbital participation was considered to be of little importance.152 X-Ray diffraction established the structure of diphosphinofumarate (126)153 and showed that the phospholanium iodide (127) has an envelope ring with the methyl group at the point of the flap.154 The bicyclic phosphonium bromide (128) has a distorted half-chair phosphorus-containing ring, one of the P—C bonds in the... 

A theoretical value for the magnitude of dJ/dEz was obtained using the delocalized molecular orbital approach of Gil and Teixeira-Dias 17> who calculated substituent effects on. The Pople expression for the contact contribution to the coupling constant 1 c-h1 °f a methyl group can be written... 

Eq. 1 log kD, dissociation constant V, solvent-accessible surface molecular volume (A3) gH, greatest population in highest occupied molecular orbital for methyl group hydrogen atoms. 

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