Molecular orbital surface

FIG U RE 6.3 Molecular orbital surface of the HOMO and LUMO for the ground state of the quinoide form (2) of the l-butyl-4-[2-(3,5-dunethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethenyl)]piridinium cation. 

A more elaborate theoretical approach develops the concept of surface molecular orbitals and proceeds to evaluate various overlap integrals [119]. Calculations for hydrogen on Pt( 111) planes were consistent with flash desorption and LEED data. In general, the greatly increased availability of LEED structures for chemisorbed films has allowed correspondingly detailed theoretical interpretations, as, for example, of the commonly observed (C2 x 2) structure [120] (note also Ref. 121). 

Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) results have provided detailed infomiation about CO adsorption on many surfaces. Figure A3.10.24 shows UPS results for CO adsorption on Pd(l 10) [58] that are representative of molecular CO adsorption on platinum surfaces. The difference result in (c) between the clean surface and the CO-covered surface shows a strong negative feature just below the Femii level ( p), and two positive features at 8 and 11 eV below E. The negative feature is due to suppression of emission from the metal d states as a result of an anti-resonance phenomenon. The positive features can be attributed to the 4a molecular orbital of CO and the overlap of tire 5a and 1 k molecular orbitals. The observation of features due to CO molecular orbitals clearly indicates that CO molecularly adsorbs. The overlap of the 5a and 1 ti levels is caused by a stabilization of the 5 a molecular orbital as a consequence of fomiing the surface-CO chemisorption bond. 

Depending on the application, models of molecular surfaces arc used to express molecular orbitals, clcaronic densities, van dor Waals radii, or other forms of display. An important definition of a molecular surface was laid down by Richards [182] with the solvent-accessible envelope. Normally the representation is a cloud of points, reticules (meshes or chicken-wire), or solid envelopes. The transparency of solid surfaces may also be indicated (Figure 2-116). 

Isovalue-based surfaces are also often used for the representation of molecular orbitals. 

Besides molecular orbitals, other molecular properties, such as electrostatic potentials or spin density, can be represented by isovalue surfaces. Normally, these scalar properties are mapped onto different surfaces see above). This type of high-dimensional visualization permits fast and easy identification of the relevant molecular regions. 

Figure 2-125. Different isovalue-based surfaces of phenylalanine a) isoelectronic density b) molecular orbitals (HOMO-LUMO) c) isopotential surface and d) isosurface of the electron cryo-microscopic volume of the ribosome of Escherichia coii.

I he electron density distribution of individual molecular orbitals may also be determined and plotted. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) are often of particular interest as these are the orbitals most cimimonly involved in chemical reactions. As an illustration, the HOMO and LUMO for Jonnamide are displayed in Figures 2.12 and 2.13 (colour plate section) as surface pictures. 

The treatment of electronic motion is treated in detail in Sections 2, 3, and 6 where molecular orbitals and configurations and their computer evaluation is covered. The vibration/rotation motion of molecules on BO surfaces is introduced above, but should be treated in more detail in a subsequent course in molecular spectroscopy. 

FIGURE 114 The TT molecular orbitals of benzene arranged in order of increasing energy and showing nodal surfaces The six tt electrons of benzene occupy the three lowest energy or bitals all of which are bonding... 

Molecular orbitals are useful tools for identifying reactive sites m a molecule For exam pie the positive charge m allyl cation is delocalized over the two terminal carbon atoms and both atoms can act as electron acceptors This is normally shown using two reso nance structures but a more compact way to see this is to look at the shape of the ion s LUMO (the LUMO is a molecule s electron acceptor orbital) Allyl cation s LUMO appears as four surfaces Two surfaces are positioned near each of the terminal carbon atoms and they identify allyl cation s electron acceptor sites... 

Thermodynamic properties such as heats of reaction and heats of formation can be computed mote rehably by ab initio theory than by semiempirical MO methods (55). However, the Hterature of the method appropriate to the study should be carefully checked before a technique is selected. Finally, the role of computer graphics in evaluating quantum mechanical properties should not be overlooked. As seen in Figures 2—6, significant information can be conveyed with stick models or various surfaces with charge properties mapped onto them. Additionally, information about orbitals, such as the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), which ate important sites of reactivity in electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions, can be plotted readily. Figure 7 shows representations of the HOMO and LUMO, respectively, for the antiulcer dmg Zantac. 

SpartanView displays molecular- orbitals as colored surfaces. An orbital surface connects points in space where the selected orbital has a particular- numerical magnitude, and different colors are used to indicate surfaces conesponding to negative and positive values of the orbital. 

The most important molecular- orbitals are the so-called frontier molecular- orbitals. These are the highest (energy) occupied molecular- orbital (HOMO), and lowest (energy) unoccupied molecular- orbital (LUMO). The following picture shows the LUMO surface for the hydrogen molecule, H2. The LUMO consists of two separate surfaces, a red... 

Electron densities, bond densities, and spin densities, as well as particular molecular orbitals may be displayed as graphical surfaces. In addition, the value of the electrostatic potential or the absolute value of a particular molecular orbital may be mapped onto an electron density surface. These maps provide information about the environment around the accessible surface of a molecule. Electrostatic potential maps show overall charge distribution, while orbital maps reveal likely sites for electrophilic and/or nucleophilic attack. Surface displays may be combined with any type of model display. 

If surfaces are available, this menu will contain one or more entries describing the surfaces, e.g., HOMO referring to the highest-occupied molecular orbital. 

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