Chemical Bonding in Silicon Carbonyl Complexes

Although silylene-carbonyl complexes are known for decades, only recently isolable examples have been accomplished. In this work, the bonding situation is re-evaluated to explain the origins of their remarkable stability within the Kohn-Sham molecular orbital theory framework. It is shown that the chemical bond can be understood as CO interaction with the silylene via a donor-acceptor interaction: a σ-donation from the σ_CO into the empty p-orbital of silicon, and a π-back donation from the sp² lone pair of silicon into the π*_CO antibonding orbitals. Notably, it was established that the driving force behind the surprisingly stable Si−CO compounds, however, is another π-back donation from a perpendicular bonding R−Si σ-orbital into the π*_CO antibonding orbitals. Consequently, the pyramidalization of the central silicon atom cannot be associated with the strength of the π-back donation, in sharp contrast to the established chemical bonding model. Considering this additional bonding interaction not only shed light on the bonding situation, but is also an indispensable key for broadening the scope of silylene-carbonyl chemistry.     

Bonding character of intermediates in on-surface Ullmann reactions revealed with energy decomposition analysis

On-surface synthesis has become a thriving topic in surface science. The Ullmann coupling reaction is the most applied synthetic route today, but the nature of the organometallic intermediate is still under discussion. We investigate the bonding nature of prototypical intermediate species (phenyl, naphthyl, anthracenyl, phenanthryl, and triphenylenyl) on the Cu(111) surface with a combination of plane wave and atomic orbital basis set methods using density functional theory calculations with periodic boundary conditions. The surface bonding is shown to be of covalent nature with a polarized shared-electron bond supported by π-back donation effects using energy decomposition analysis for extended systems (pEDA). The bond angle of the intermediates is determined by balancing dispersion attraction and Pauli repulsion between adsorbate and surface. The latter can be significantly reduced by adatoms on the surface. We furthermore investigate how to choose computational parameters for pEDA of organic adsorbates on metal surfaces efficiently and show that bonding interpretation requires consistent choice of the density functional.     

Theoretical Study on the Hydrogen Bonding Interactions in Complexes of 5‐Hydroxytryptamine with Water

The energies, geometries and harmonic vibrational frequencies of 1:1 5‐hydroxytryptamine‐water (5‐HT‐H₂O) complexes are studied at the MP2/6‐311++G(d,p) level. Natural bond orbital (NBO), quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses and the localized molecular orbital energy decomposition analysis (LMO‐EDA) were performed to explore the nature of the hydrogen‐bonding interactions in these complexes. Various types of hydrogen bonds (H‐bonds) are formed in these 5‐HT‐H₂O complexes. The intermolecular C4H5^5‐HT···O^w H‐bond in HTW3 is strengthened due to the cooperativity, whereas no such cooperativity is found in the other 5‐HT‐H₂O complexes. H‐bond in which nitrogen atom of amino in 5‐HT acted as proton donors was stronger than other H‐bonds. Our researches show that the hydrogen bonding interaction plays a vital role on the relative stabilities of 5‐HT‐H₂O complexes.     

The Local Kinetic Energy Profile of an Inverted CarbonCarbon Bond Reveals and Refines its Charge‐Shift Character

Analysis of the kinetic energy density within a molecule identifies patterns in its electronic structure that are linked to the concept of charge‐shift bonding. This is illustrated in a detailed study of twelve molecules, possessing carbon‐carbon covalent as well as carbon‐carbon charge‐shift bonds in various degrees of orders, including propellanes and heteropropellanes. Regions of slow electrons are fundamental for such a correlation, and a RoSE (region of slow electrons) indicator ν_±, based on the positive definite kinetic energy density τ, is employed to characterize classes of charge‐shift bonds in terms of its full topology of all critical points of rank three.     

卤键在化学传感和分子识别中的应用

卤键是一种新的分子间非共价作用力,它存在于卤素原子(路易斯酸)和具有孤电子对的原子或π-电子体系(路易斯碱)之间,在超分子化学、材料科学、生物识别和药物设计等领域已经显示出独特的优势。本文主要从卤键的特征和在化学传感和分子识别中的应用以及发展前景等几方面进行了介绍,期望引起人们对卤键的更多关注。     

Study on the construction of satisfactory nonorthogonal localized molecular orbitals

Comparing to orthogonal localized molecular orbitals (OLMO), the nonorthogonal localized molecular orbitals (NOLMO) exhibit bonding pictures more accordant with those in the traditional chemistry. They are more contracted, so that they have a better transferability and better performances for the calculation of election correlation energies and for the linear scaling algorithms of large systems. The satisfactory NOLMOs should be as contracted as possible while their shapes and spatial distribution keep in accordance with the traditional chemical bonding picture. It is found that the spread of NOLMOs is a monotonic decreasing function of their orthogonality, and it may reduce to any extent as the orthogonality descends. However, when the orthogonality descends to some point, the shapes and spatial distribution of the NOLMOs deviate drastically from the traditional chemical bonding picture, and finally the NOLMOs tend to linear dependence. Without the requirement of orthogonalization, some other constrain     

The Electronic Structures and Chemical Bonding of Some Dinuclear and Trinuclear Low－valence Molybdenum Complexes Containing Thiolate Bridges

ＴｈｅＥｌｅｃｔｒｏｎｉｃＳｔｒｕｃｔｕｒｅｓａｎｄＣｈｅｍｉｃａｌＢｏｎｄｉｎｇｏｆＳｏｍｅＤｉｎｕｃｌｅａｒａｎｄＴｒｉｎｕｃｌｅａｒＬｏｗ－ｖａｌｅｎｃｅＭｏｌｙｂｄｅｎｕｍＣｏｍｐｌｅｘｅｓＣｏｎｔａｉｎｉｎｇＴｈｉｏｌａｔｅＢｒｉｄｇｅｓＨ...     

Conceptual Quantum Chemical Analysis of Bonding and Noncovalent Interactions in the Formation of Frustrated Lewis Pairs

The contributions of covalent and noncovalent interactions to the formation of classical adducts of bulky Lewis acids and bases and frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) were scrutinized by using various conceptual quantum chemical techniques. Significantly negative complexation energies were calculated for fourteen investigated Lewis pairs containing bases and acids with substituents of various sizes. A Ziegler–Rauk‐type energy decomposition analysis confirmed that two types of Lewis pairs can be distinguished on the basis of the nature of the primary interactions between reactants; dative‐bond formation and concomitant charge transfer from the Lewis base to the acid is the dominant and most stabilizing factor in the formation of Lewis acid–base adducts, whereas weak interactions are the main thermodynamic driving force (>50 %) for FLPs. Moreover, the ease and extent of structural deformation of the monomers appears to be a key component in the formation of the former type of Lewis pairs. A Natural Orbital for Chemical Valence (NOCV) analysis, which was used to visualize and quantify the charge transfer between the base and the acid, clearly showed the importance and lack of this type of interaction for adducts and FLPs, respectively. The Noncovalent Interaction (NCI) method revealed several kinds of weak interactions between the acid and base components, such as dispersion, π–π stacking, C?H ??? π interaction, weak hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, and weak acid–base interactions, whereas the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) provided further conceptual insight into strong acid–base interactions.     

Natural bond orbital analysis: A critical overview of relationships to alternative bonding perspectives

We sketch the basic principles of natural bond orbital (NBO) theory, including critical discussion of its relationship to alternative bonding concepts and selected illustrations of its application to a broad spectrum of chemical bonding motifs. Particular emphasis is placed on the close NBO connections to prequantal bonding, and electromerism concepts, as well as the deep roots in quantal eigenvalue, superposition, and Pauli exclusion concepts that are manifested in many aspects of NBO donor–acceptor analysis. With respect to leading alternative perspectives, we identify similarities and differences that distinguish NBO theory from the corresponding precepts of valence bond theory, molecular orbital theory, and Bader's quantum theory of atoms in molecules, with critical discussion of the assumptions underlying characteristic differences in each case. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Bonding Energies and Structural Study of Alkylaluminium

Neutral aluminium alkyls are well known to act as ethylene oligomerization and polymerization catalysts and cocatalysts.On the basis of the full optimization of alkylaluminium compounds with Gaussian 98 program package at the B3LYP/6-31G** level,the selected structures and bonding energies were investigated extensively.The geometries and bonding energies of AlR3(R = H,CH3,C2H5,C3H7,C4H9) and Al(C2H5)2R'(R' = C2H5,C3H7,C4H9,C5H11,C6H13) were investigated extensively,and we found that,along with the prolongation of carbon chains the terminal C-C bond is shortened gradually until to a constant value of about 0.1532 nm in C4H9;and the bonding energy almost remains constant.The dative bonding of C2H4 to Al(C2H5)3,whose bonding energy is only 15.30 kJ/mol,is very weak.     

Rhorix: An interface between quantum chemical topology and the 3D graphics program blender

Chemical research is assisted by the creation of visual representations that map concepts (such as atoms and bonds) to 3D objects. These concepts are rooted in chemical theory that predates routine solution of the Schrödinger equation for systems of interesting size. The method of Quantum Chemical Topology (QCT) provides an alternative, parameter‐free means to understand chemical phenomena directly from quantum mechanical principles. Representation of the topological elements of QCT has lagged behind the best tools available. Here, we describe a general abstraction (and corresponding file format) that permits the definition of mappings between topological objects and their 3D representations. Possible mappings are discussed and a canonical example is suggested, which has been implemented as a Python “Add‐On” named Rhorix for the state‐of‐the‐art 3D modeling program Blender. This allows chemists to use modern drawing tools and artists to access QCT data in a familiar context. A number of examples are discussed. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Computational Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Uranocenium: Synthesis,Structure, and Chemical Bonding

Abstraction of iodide from [(η⁵‐C₅ⁱPr₅)₂UI] ( 1 ) produced the cationic uranium(III) metallocene [(η⁵‐C₅ⁱPr₅)₂U]⁺ ( 2 ) as a salt of [B(C₆F₅)₄]^?. The structure of 2 consists of unsymmetrically bonded cyclopentadienyl ligands and a bending angle of 167.82° at uranium. Analysis of the bonding in 2 showed that the uranium 5f orbitals are strongly split and mixed with the ligand orbitals, thus leading to non‐negligible covalent contributions to the bonding. Investigation of the dynamic magnetic properties of 2 revealed that the 5f covalency leads to partially quenched anisotropy and fast magnetic relaxation in zero applied magnetic field. Application of a magnetic field leads to dominant relaxation by a Raman process.     

A model of the chemical bond must be rooted in quantum mechanics, provide insight, and possess predictive power

In this response to the preceding paper by Bader, we show that the core arguments and statements presented in the latter are flawed. We argue that it is insufficient for a model of the chemical bond to be rooted in quantum mechanics. A good model must in addition provide insight and possess predictive power. Our molecular orbital (MO) model of the chemical bond, in particular, the associated energy-decomposition approach satisfies all these conditions. On the other hand, Atoms-in-Molecules (AIM) theory is only rooted in quantum mechanics as far as its mathematical framework is concerned. The physical status of its central concepts is not so clear. In particular, "bond paths" and "bond critical points" are once more confirmed not to be indicators of a stabilizing interaction. Moreover, AIM theory lacks any predictive power. We also address specific questions raised in the preceding paper. Finally, interpreting chemical bonding implies choosing a perspective on this phenomenon. That there are many perspectives is a matter of fact and this is in no way unphysical. What is unscientific is to claim uniqueness and truth for one of these choices, namely AIM, and to dismiss on this ground all other approaches.     

Polar-Covalent Bonding Beyond the Zintl Picture in Intermetallic Rare-Earth Germanides

A comparative chemical bonding analysis for the germanides La₂MGe₆ (M=Li, Mg, Al, Zn, Cu, Ag, Pd) and Y₂PdGe₆ is presented, together with the crystal structure determination for M=Li, Mg, Cu, Ag. The studied compounds adopt the two closely related structure types oS72-Ce₂(Ga_0.1Ge_0.9)₇ and mS36-La₂AlGe₆, containing zigzag chains and corrugated layers of Ge atoms bridged by M species, with La/Y atoms located in the biggest cavities. Chemical bonding was studied by means of the quantum chemical position-space techniques QTAIM (quantum theory of atoms in molecules), ELI-D (electron localizability indicator), and their basin intersections. The new penultimate shell correction (PSC0) method was introduced to adapt the ELI-D valence electron count to that expected from the periodic table of the elements. It plays a decisive role to balance the Ge−La polar-covalent interactions against the Ge−M ones. In spite of covalently bonded Ge partial structures formally obeying the Zintl electron count for M=Mg²⁺, Zn²⁺, all the compounds reveal noticeable deviations from the conceptual 8−N picture due to significant polar-covalent interactions of Ge with La and M ≠ Li, Mg atoms. For M=Li, Mg a formulation as a germanolanthanate M[La₂Ge₆] is appropriate. Moreover, the relative Laplacian of ELI-D was discovered to reveal a chemically useful fine structure of the ELI-D distribution being related to polyatomic bonding features. With the aid of this new tool, a consistent picture of La/Y−M interactions for the title compounds was extracted.