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Valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory (/ ˈ v ɛ s p ər, v ə ˈ s ɛ p ər / VESP-ər, [1]: 410 və-SEP-ər [2]) is a model used in chemistry to predict the geometry of individual molecules from the number of electron pairs surrounding their central atoms. [3]
Molecular geometry influences several properties of a substance including its reactivity, polarity, phase of matter, color, magnetism and biological activity. [1] [2] [3] The angles between bonds that an atom forms depend only weakly on the rest of molecule, i.e. they can be understood as approximately local and hence transferable properties.
Structure of xenon oxytetrafluoride, an example of a molecule with the square pyramidal coordination geometry. Square pyramidal geometry describes the shape of certain chemical compounds with the formula ML 5 where L is a ligand. If the ligand atoms were connected, the resulting shape would be that of a pyramid with a square base.
According to the VSEPR theory of molecular geometry in chemistry, which is based on the general principle of maximizing the distances between points, a square antiprism is the favoured geometry when eight pairs of electrons surround a central atom. One molecule with this geometry is the octafluoroxenate(VI) ion (XeF 2−
This geometry is almost always consistent with VSEPR theory, which usually explains non-collinearity of atoms with a presence of lone pairs. There are several variants of bending, where the most common is AX 2 E 2 where two covalent bonds and two lone pairs of the central atom (A) form a complete 8-electron shell .
[11] [12] The result of VSEPR theory is being able to predict bond angles with accuracy. According to VSEPR theory, the geometry of a molecule can be predicted by counting how many electron pairs and atoms are connected to a central atom. [11] [12] Bent's rule states "[A]tomic s character concentrates in orbitals directed toward electropositive ...
This would result in the geometry of a regular tetrahedron with each bond angle equal to arccos(− 1 / 3 ) ≈ 109.5°. However, the three hydrogen atoms are repelled by the electron lone pair in a way that the geometry is distorted to a trigonal pyramid (regular 3-sided pyramid) with bond angles of 107°.
Representative d-orbital splitting diagrams for square planar complexes featuring σ-donor (left) and σ+π-donor (right) ligands. A general d-orbital splitting diagram for square planar (D 4h) transition metal complexes can be derived from the general octahedral (O h) splitting diagram, in which the d z 2 and the d x 2 −y 2 orbitals are degenerate and higher in energy than the degenerate ...