ERIC Number: EJ1234647
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Nov
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Representation of Three-Center-Two-Electron Bonds in Covalent Molecules with Bridging Hydrogen Atoms
Journal of Chemical Education, v96 n11 p2467-2475 Nov 2019
Many compounds can be represented well in terms of the two-center-two-electron (2c-2e) bond model. However, it is well-known that this approach has limitations; for example, certain compounds require the use of three-center-two-electron (3c-2e) bonds to provide an adequate description of the bonding. Although a classic example of a compound that features a 3c-2e bond is provided by diborane, B[subscript 2]H[subscript 6], 3c-2e interactions also feature prominently in transition metal chemistry, as exemplified by bridging hydride compounds, agostic compounds, dihydrogen complexes, and hydrocarbon and silane [sigma]-complexes. In addition to being able to identify the different types of bonds (2c-2e and 3c-2e) present in a molecule, it is essential to be able to utilize these models to evaluate the chemical reasonableness of a molecule by applying the octet and 18-electron rules; however, to do so requires determination of the electron counts of atoms in molecules. Although this is easily achieved for molecules that possess only 2c-2e bonds, the situation is more complex for those that possess 3c-2e bonds. Therefore, this article describes a convenient approach for representing 3c-2e interactions in a manner that facilitates the electron counting procedure for such compounds. In particular, specific attention is devoted to the use of the half-arrow formalism to represent 3c-2e interactions in compounds with bridging hydrogen atoms.
Descriptors: Inorganic Chemistry, Molecular Structure, Molecular Biology, Identification, Nuclear Physics, Metallurgy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A