Organic Chemistry: Orbitals

Problem : Draw MO energy diagrams for the molecular ions H2+ and H2-. Which ion has the stronger H-H bond?

Solution for Problem 1 >>

Problem 1

Since both molecular ions have a bond order of 1/2, they are approximately equally stable.

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Problem : Surprisingly, the hybridization of the starred oxygen in the following molecule is sp ² , not sp ³ . Account for this observation using your knowledge of extended Π systems.

Problem 2

Solution for Problem 2 >>

By adopting an sp ² hybridization, the lone pair in the p orbital can overlap with the adjacent Π bond. This can be illustrated using an orbital picture or with resonance structures:

Figure %: Solution

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