Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
Relativistic Spin-Orbit Electronegativity and the Chemical Bond Between a Heavy Atom and a Light Atom
Ben Joseph R Cuyacot1,2, Jan Novotný1,2, Raphael J F Berger3
1CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czechia.
Abstract:
Radek Marek and his co-workers at Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia have been invited to prepare the cover of this issue. The image depicts the relativistic spin-orbit coupling that is associated with the presence of a heavy atom in a molecule influencing the electron density around a light atom and modulating the chemical bond between these two atoms. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202200277.
Related Concept Videos
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...
The Energies of Atomic Orbitals
Molecular Orbital Theory II
Polar Covalent Bonds
Spin–Spin Coupling: Two-Bond Coupling (Geminal Coupling)
The central atom need not be NMR-active because its electrons are affected by the electron polarization of the spin-active atoms. However, spin information is transmitted less effectively than in one-bond coupling, and 2J values are usually weaker than 1J values. The energy of...
Electronic Structure of Atoms
An atom comprises protons and neutrons, which are contained inside the dense, central core called the nucleus, with electrons present around the nucleus. Taking into account the wave–particle duality of electrons and the uncertainty in position around the nucleus, quantum mechanics provides a more accurate model for the atomic structure. It describes atomic orbitals as the regions around the nucleus where electrons of discrete energy exist, characterized by four quantum...

