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Related Concept Videos

Chemical Bonds02:40

Chemical Bonds


Atoms participate in a chemical bond formation to acquire a completed valence-shell electron configuration similar to that of the noble gas nearest to it in atomic number. Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds are some of the important types of chemical bonds. Bond energy and bond length determine the strength of a chemical bond.
Types of Chemical Bonds
An ionic bond is formed due to electrostatic attraction between cations and anions. Often, the ions are formed by the transfer of electrons from...
Types of Chemical Bonds02:37

Types of Chemical Bonds

Chemical bonding theories were pioneered by American chemist Gilbert N. Lewis. He developed a model called the Lewis model to explain the type and formation of different bonds. Chemical bonding is central to chemistry; it explains how atoms or ions bond together to form molecules. It explains why some bonds are strong and others are weak, or why one carbon bonds with two oxygens and not three; why water is H2O and not H4O.
Types of Chemical Bonds02:37

Types of Chemical Bonds

Chemical bonding theories were pioneered by American chemist Gilbert N. Lewis. He developed a model called the Lewis model to explain the type and formation of different bonds. Chemical bonding is central to chemistry; it explains how atoms or ions bond together to form molecules. It explains why some bonds are strong and others are weak, or why one carbon bonds with two oxygens and not three; why water is H2O and not H4O.
Introduction to Chemical Bonds01:01

Introduction to Chemical Bonds

Chemical Bonds
The electrons of the outermost energy level determine the energetic stability of the atom and its tendency to form chemical bonds with other atoms. The innermost electron shell has a maximum capacity of two electrons, but the next two electron shells can each have a maximum of eight electrons. This is known as the octet rule, which states that, with the exception of the innermost shell, atoms are most stable energetically when they have eight electrons in their valence shell, the...
Valence Bond Theory02:45

Valence Bond Theory

Overview of Valence Bond Theory
Valence Bond Theory02:42

Valence Bond Theory

Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...

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Covalent Fragment Screening Using the Quantitative Irreversible Tethering Assay
06:17

Covalent Fragment Screening Using the Quantitative Irreversible Tethering Assay

Published on: February 28, 2025

Bond paths are not chemical bonds.

Richard F W Bader1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L7L 2T1, Canada.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|September 3, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Bond paths, not just chemical bonds, describe atomic interactions. This quantum mechanical approach offers a unified view of matter

Area of Science:

  • Quantum Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Chemical Physics

Background:

  • The definition of a bond path as a criterion for bonding between atoms is criticized for being mistakenly identified with a chemical bond.
  • The concept of a chemical bond is considered too restrictive to explain the full spectrum of atomic and molecular interactions governing matter's properties.
  • Van der Waals interactions are traditionally viewed as distinct from chemical bonding, contributing to condensed states alongside Pauli repulsions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge criticisms of the bond path definition and establish its broader applicability beyond traditional chemical bonds.
  • To demonstrate that bond paths, as measurable quantum mechanical observables, provide a more comprehensive framework for understanding interatomic interactions.
  • To resolve interpretive dichotomies concerning interactions like van der Waals forces and their role in condensed matter.

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From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding

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Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

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Covalent Fragment Screening Using the Quantitative Irreversible Tethering Assay
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Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis defining a bond path operator as a Dirac observable.
  • Application of quantum mechanical theorems to bond path properties.
  • Experimental detection and property delineation of bond paths in molecular crystals, specifically analyzing spectroscopic data from dideuteriophenanthrene.

Main Results:

  • Bond paths are shown to be applicable to all interactions determining matter's properties, not just chemical bonds.
  • The bond path is established as a measurable expectation value of a quantum mechanical operator.
  • Experimental evidence from molecular crystals, including dideuteriophenanthrene, supports the physical reality and significance of bond paths, refuting specific criticisms.

Conclusions:

  • The bond path concept offers a more encompassing and experimentally verifiable criterion for interatomic interactions than the traditional chemical bond.
  • Quantum mechanics provides a unified theoretical basis for understanding diverse interactions through the bond path operator.
  • The study resolves long-standing interpretive issues regarding forces like van der Waals interactions and their contribution to material properties.