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Molecular orbital diagram of dinitrogen. With nitrogen, we see the two molecular orbitals mixing and the energy repulsion. This is the reasoning for the rearrangement from a more familiar diagram. The σ from the 2p is more non-bonding due to mixing, and same with the 2s σ. This also causes a large jump in energy in the 2p σ* orbital.
Molecular orbital diagram of two singlet excited states as well as the triplet ground state of molecular dioxygen. From left to right, the diagrams are for: 1 Δ g singlet oxygen (first excited state), 1 Σ + g singlet oxygen (second excited state), and 3 Σ − g triplet oxygen (ground state). The lowest energy 1s molecular orbitals are ...
Date/Time Thumbnail Dimensions User Comment; current: 22:16, 7 January 2015: 430 × 648 (58 KB): Rjlanc: defining z as bond direction with x and y for pi orbitals
The highest occupied orbital energy level of dioxygen is a pair of antibonding π* orbitals. In the ground state of dioxygen, this energy level is occupied by two electrons of the same spin, as shown in the molecular orbital diagram. The molecule, therefore, has two unpaired electrons and is in a triplet state.
An electron configuration with two unpaired electrons, as is found in dioxygen orbitals (see the filled π* orbitals in the diagram) that are of equal energy—i.e., degenerate—is a configuration termed a spin triplet state. Hence, the ground state of the O 2 molecule is referred to as triplet oxygen.
Under a molecular orbital theory framework, the oxygen-oxygen bond in triplet dioxygen is better described as one full σ bond plus two π half-bonds, each half-bond accounted for by two-center three-electron (2c-3e) bonding, to give a net bond order of two (1+2× 1 / 2 ), while also accounting for the spin state (S = 1).
The qualitative approach of MO analysis uses a molecular orbital diagram to visualize bonding interactions in a molecule. In this type of diagram, the molecular orbitals are represented by horizontal lines; the higher a line the higher the energy of the orbital, and degenerate orbitals are placed on the same level with a space between them.
The most familiar is molecular oxygen (O 2), present at significant levels in Earth's atmosphere and also known as dioxygen or triplet oxygen. Another is the highly reactive ozone (O 3). Others are: Atomic oxygen (O 1), a free radical. Singlet oxygen (O * 2), one of two metastable states of molecular oxygen. Tetraoxygen (O 4), another ...