An upper bound to bond electric dipole moments

An upper bound can be set to the dipole moment of the X-H bond (with X+H^– polarity) for symmetrical molecules of XH₄ and XH₃ type from the experimental values of the g factor and bond length. The following upper bounds have been found to the bond dipole moments: CH₄ (C+H^–<0.902 D, SiH₄, (Si+H^–)<4.21 D, GeH₄+ (Ge+H^–)<3.59 D, NH₃ (N+H^–)<0, PH₃ (P+H^–)<2.74 D. These results enable one to rule out certain published data on the dipole moment of the C-H bond in methane as certainly incorrect. In the case of the ammonia molecule, the possibility of N+H^– polarity is ruled out.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khitniya, No. 3, pp. 346–350, May–June, 1985.