Use of oxidation-state differences and molecular orbitals to interpret bonding in the series ONXYZ (X, Y, Z=H, F, Cl), HNNX3, HNNX2Y, and HNNXY2 (X, Y=H, F) and OCX3-, OCX2Y-, and OCXY2- (X, Y=H, F)

Bonding in the series ONXYZ (X, Y, Z=H, F, Cl), HNNX3, HNNX2Y, HNNXY2 (X, Y=H, F), and OCX3-, OCX2Y-, OCXY2- (X, Y=H, F) shows evidence of a significant ionic contribution modifying the underlying covalent bonding. Increased ionic character can be correlated with oxidation-state differences between the bound atoms and is expressed in terms of shorter bond lengths. All members of the series, with the exception of ONH3, HNNH3, and OCH3-, possess a multiple O-N, N-N, or C-O bond modified by the ionic character of that bond. The O-N, N-N, and O-C single bonds in ONH3, HNNH3, and OCH3-, respectively, show some variation in length relative to "typical" single bonds of these types due to differences in ionic character. The two highest-occupied molecular orbitals in the ONXYZ or OCXYZ- (X, Y, Z=H, F) series which are piNO or piCO (when X=Y=Z=H) exhibit a distinct shift in their nodal plane as hydrogen is replaced by fluorine. The nodal plane moves from a location between the oxygen and the nitrogen or carbon to between the nitrogen or carbon and the fluorines impacting on the nature and length of the bonds joining these atoms. The pattern of N-F and C-F bond lengths in the series, ONH3-ONF3 and OCH3--OCF3-, respectively, lends support to the idea of resonance structures of the form ONXY+ F- or OCXY F- (where X, Y=H, F).