Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

π Electron Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview01:27

π Electron Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview

An applied magnetic field causes loosely bound π-electrons in organic molecules to circulate, producing a local or induced diamagnetic field over a large spatial volume. As the molecules tumble in solution, the field generated by π-electrons in spherical substituents results in a zero net field. However, the net field generated by π-electrons in non-spherical substituents is not zero. The effect of this induced field depends on the orientation of the molecule with respect to B0, resulting in...
IR Absorption Frequency: Delocalization01:04

IR Absorption Frequency: Delocalization

Electron delocalization refers to the distribution of electrons across multiple atoms within a molecule rather than being confined to a single atom or bond. This phenomenon is common in systems with conjugated bonds—structures where alternating single and double bonds allow π-electrons to move freely across the network. The movement of electrons stabilizes the molecule and can affect various chemical properties, including vibrational frequencies observed in IR spectroscopy.
In IR spectroscopy,...
Electron Behavior00:54

Electron Behavior

Overview
Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles that are attracted to an orbit around the positively-charged nucleus of an atom. They reside in locations that are associated with energy levels called shells and are further organized into sub-shells and orbitals within each shell.
Electrons Orbit the Nucleus
Electrons are found in specific locations outside of the nucleus. The shell in which an electron resides indicates the general energy level of the electron: those closer to the...
Electron Behavior01:09

Electron Behavior

Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles attracted to and orbit around the positively-charged nucleus of an atom. They reside in spaces associated with energy levels called shells and are further organized into subshells and orbitals within each shell.
Electrons Orbit the Nucleus
Electrons are found in specific locations outside of the nucleus. The shell in which an electron resides indicates the general energy level of the electron: those closer to the nucleus have less energy,...
Electron Configurations02:46

Electron Configurations

Electron configurations and orbital diagrams can be determined by applying the Aufbau principle (each added electron occupies the subshell of lowest energy available), Pauli exclusion principle (no two electrons can have the same set of four quantum numbers), and Hund’s rule of maximum multiplicity (whenever possible, electrons retain unpaired spins in degenerate orbitals).
The relative energies of the subshells determine the order in which atomic orbitals are filled (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s,...
Resonance and Hybrid Structures02:16

Resonance and Hybrid Structures

According to the theory of resonance, if two or more Lewis structures with the same arrangement of atoms can be written for a molecule, ion, or radical, the actual distribution of electrons is an average of that shown by the various Lewis structures.
Resonance Structures and Resonance Hybrids
The Lewis structure of a nitrite anion (NO2−) may actually be drawn in two different ways, distinguished by the locations of the N–O and N=O bonds.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Photochemical C4-Selective C-H Amination of Quinolines via <i>N</i>-Shift of Heteroaryl Azides.

Organic letters·2026
Same author

Decomposition of Molecular Charge and Spin Transfer Global Indexes into Atomic Group Contributions.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Rotational Motion in Bispidines: A Conformational Study.

Organic letters·2025
Same author

Reproducible Ala-Gly oligomerization catalyzed by the natural Borate colemanite in prebiotic conditions.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Sb<sup>IV</sup>, an Unusual Player in 2D Spintronic Devices.

ACS nano·2025
Same author

Comment on 'Chemical bonding in phase-change chalcogenides'.

Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F&#8722;
06:53

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−

Published on: July 27, 2018

Revealing electron delocalization through the source function.

Emanuele Monza1, Carlo Gatti, Leonardo Lo Presti

  • 1Dipartimento di Chimica Fisica ed Elettrochimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy. emanuele.monza@studenti.unimi.it

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|July 19, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The source function (SF) reveals and quantifies electron delocalization in molecules. This new method offers a promising approach for analyzing aromaticity and electron density distributions, even from experimental data.

More Related Videos

Preparing a Celadonite Electron Source and Estimating Its Brightness
09:14

Preparing a Celadonite Electron Source and Estimating Its Brightness

Published on: November 5, 2019

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis
07:24

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis

Published on: May 10, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 31, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F&#8722;
06:53

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−

Published on: July 27, 2018

Preparing a Celadonite Electron Source and Estimating Its Brightness
09:14

Preparing a Celadonite Electron Source and Estimating Its Brightness

Published on: November 5, 2019

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis
07:24

Quantitative Atomic-Site Analysis of Functional Dopants/Point Defects in Crystalline Materials by Electron-Channeling-Enhanced Microanalysis

Published on: May 10, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Quantum Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Chemical Physics

Background:

  • The source function (SF) quantifies atomic contributions to electron density.
  • SF may help study elusive properties like electron conjugation and aromaticity.
  • These properties lack rigorous definitions and direct quantum-mechanical observables.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the source function's capability in revealing electron delocalization effects.
  • To extend the analysis to various organic systems with different unsaturated bond patterns.
  • To introduce a new SF-based indicator for local aromaticity.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of benzene, 1,3-cyclohexadiene, and cyclohexene series using the source function.
  • Extension of SF analysis to benchmark organic systems with diverse unsaturated bonds.
  • Development and validation of a new SF-based local aromaticity indicator.

Main Results:

  • The SF successfully reveals, orders, and quantifies π-electron delocalization for various bond types.
  • SF analysis elucidates electronic interactions in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and substituted naphthalenes.
  • SF describes biphenyl as weakly interacting benzene rings, with a new indicator correlating well with existing aromaticity indices.

Conclusions:

  • The source function is effective in characterizing electron delocalization and aromaticity.
  • The new SF-based aromaticity indicator is promising due to its independence from wave functions and pair densities.
  • This method holds potential for analyzing experimentally derived charge density distributions.