Stable negative ions and shape resonances in a series of organic molecules

G A Gallup1

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0299, USA.

Related Concept Videos

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.
Molecular Shapes01:18

Molecular Shapes

Molecules have characteristic shapes that are crucial for their function. The arrangement of various electron groups around the central atom dictates their molecular geometry. Electron pairs in the valence shell of a central atom will adopt an arrangement that minimizes repulsions between the electron pairs by maximizing the distance between them. The valence electrons form either bonding pairs, located primarily between bonded atoms, or lone pairs.
Two regions of electron density in a diatomic...
Resonance02:52

Resonance

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.
Molecular Orbital Theory II03:51

Molecular Orbital Theory II

Molecular Orbital Energy Diagrams
Structures of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives01:28

Structures of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives

Structure of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Carboxylic acid derivatives contain an acyl group attached to a heteroatom such as chlorine, oxygen, or nitrogen. The carbonyl carbon and oxygen are both sp2-hybridized with an unhybridized p orbital.
The three sp2 orbitals of the carbonyl carbon form three σ bonds, one each with the carbonyl oxygen, the α carbon, and the heteroatom, whereas the other two sp2 orbitals of the carbonyl oxygen are occupied by the lone pairs. Further, the unhybridized p...
Molecular Structure and Acidity02:34

Molecular Structure and Acidity

An acid can be deprotonated to form a conjugate base or an anion. If the produced anion is more stable, then the acid is stronger. On the contrary, if the anion is unstable, then the acid is weaker. Hence, to determine the acidity of the compound, the stability of its conjugate base is studied using various factors.
The size effect explains the change in atomic size on acidity. When comparing the acids formed from elements that belong to the same column in the periodic table, their atomic sizes...