Joint QTAIM and Hirshfeld study of the sigma and pi charge distribution and electron delocalization in carbonyl compounds: a comparative study with the resonance model

Atomic charges and delocalization indexes (DIs) for a series of carbonyl compounds comprising dimethyl ketone, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl acetate, acetamide, methyl vinyl ketone, divinyl ketone, and benzoic acid were studied using two different atomic partitionings: the QTAIM and the Hirshfeld (stockholder) scheme. The resonance model, traditionally employed to explain the reactivity of these compounds, is not in line with the total atomic charges and DIs calculated by both methodologies. However, the resonance model is supported to some extent by the pi charges and pi DIs calculated by both schemes, but the calculated values indicate that the pi population delocalizes only to a small degree. Although the absolute values of QTAIM and stockholder atomic charges are significantly different, the pi charges and the values of the DIs show similar trends for all the atoms and molecules of this study; this is especially the case for the pi DIs. A study of the electron density on the level of a single MO performed for CO, H2CO, F2CO, and H2CS reveals that the differences in the atomic sigma charges computed with both partitionings can be traced back to their different treatment of interatomic regions.