Larry Brown

Tom Holme

www.cengage.com/chemistry/brown

Chapter 7
Chemical Bonding and
Molecular Structure

Jacqueline Bennett • SUNY Oneonta

Chapter Objectives
• List some factors influencing the biocompatibility of materials
and explain how those factors are related to chemical
bonding.

• Use electron configurations to explain why metals tend to

form cations, whereas nonmetals tend to form anions.

• Describe the energy changes in the formation of an ionic

bond.

• Define electronegativity and state how electronegativity varies

with position in the periodic table.

2
Chapter Objectives
• Identify or predict polar, nonpolar, and ionic bonds by
comparing electronegativities.

• Write Lewis electron structures for molecules or ions.

• Describe chemical bonding using a model based on the

overlap of atomic orbitals and recognize some of the
limitations of this simple model.

• Explain how hybridization reconciles observed molecular

shapes with the orbital overlap model.

3
Chapter Objectives
• Predict the geometry of a molecule from its Lewis structure.

• Use models (real or software) to help visualize common

molecular shapes.

• Explain the formation of multiple bonds in terms of the overlap

of a combination of hybridized and unhybridized atomic
orbitals.

• Identify sigma and pi bonds in a molecule and explain the

difference between them.

4
Materials for Biomedical Engineering

• Materials used in the body to replace damaged tissue must

have the following properties:

• Physical properties similar to the tissue they are replacing

• Strength
• Durability
• Polarity: nature of electrical charges on surfaces

• Biocompatibility: ability of material to interact biologically

without triggering an immune response

5
The Ionic Bond
• An ionic bond is formed by the electrostatic attraction of
oppositely charged ions.

• Ionic compounds form between metals and nonmetals.

• The greater the difference in metallic/nonmetallic

properties (more widely separated in the periodic table),
the more likely it is a compound will be ionic.

6
Formation of Cations
• Metals in the s and p blocks have low ionization energies and
form cations with an np6 electronic configuration.

• Large jumps in ionization energy occur when removing an

electron from an np6 electronic configuration.

• Cations are smaller than their corresponding neutral atoms.

• Losing electrons reduces electron-electron repulsion.

• Remaining electrons are more tightly bound to the

nucleus.

7
Formation of Cations
• Transition metals can form cations with more than one
possible charge.

• Transition metals first lose electrons from the s subshell.

• Additional electrons are lost from the partially filled d

orbitals.

• A half filled d orbital set is a fairly stable arrangement.

• Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions are both stable.

8
Example Problem 7.1
• Using the data from
Table 6.4, predict
the ions that
magnesium and
aluminum are most
likely to form.

9
Formation of Anions
• Nonmetals have negative electron affinities and generally
form anions with an np6 electronic configuration.

• Anions are larger than their corresponding neutral atoms.

• Gaining electrons increases electron-electron repulsion.

• Valence electrons less tightly bound to the nucleus.

10
Formation of Ions

• Sizes of ions compared to corresponding neutral atoms.

11
Formation of Ions
• Cations decrease in size from left to right across the periodic
table.
• Cations in a period have the same electronic
configuration.

• Anions decrease in size from left to right across the periodic

table.
• Anions in a period have the same electronic configuration.

• Number of protons increases from left to right across a period.

• Electrons are held more tightly from left to right across a

period, resulting in smaller ions.
12
Formation of Ions
• Forming an ionic bond between a metal and nonmetal usually
requires energy to form the ion pair.

• Ionization energies are positive.

• Electron affinities for nonmetals are negative.

• Energy input to form the cation is not offset by energy

released by forming the anion.

13
Formation of Ions
• Once an ion pair is formed, electrostatic force of attraction
between the ions significantly lowers overall energy.

• F is force of attraction, q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is

the distance between the nuclei of the two ions.

q1q2
F 2
r

14
Formation of Ions
• The potential energy, V, for the ion pair can be calculated.

• k = 1.389 x 105 kJ pm/mol

q1q2
Vk
r

15
Formation of Ions
• The energy released in forming NaF can be calculated.

• First the ion pair must be formed. (496 – 328 = +168 kJ/mol)
• The ionization energy for Na is 496 kJ/mol.
• The electron affinity for F is -328 kJ/mol.

• Second the potential energy from coulombic attraction is

calculated. Use the ionic radii to calculate V.
• V = -591 kJ/mol.

• The energy released from the coulombic attraction is much greater

than the energy required to form the NaF ion pair.
• The formation of the NaF ionic bond releases energy.
16
Formation of Ions
• In ionic solids, the ions are arranged in a crystal lattice.

• Ions experience attractive and repulsive interactions in

three dimensions.

• Strength of interaction decreases with distance.

17
Formation of Ions

• In a solid lattice, any given ion experiences a large number of

attractive and repulsive interactions.
18
Formation of Ions
• The lattice energy is the overall result of the attractive and
repulsive forces a crystal contains.

• Small ions with large charges form ionic compounds with

large lattice energies.

• Large ions with small charges form ionic compounds with

small lattice energies.

19
Example Problem 7.2
• In each of the following pairs of ionic solids, the ions are
arranged into similar lattices. Which one has the largest lattice
energy?

• CaO or KF

• NaF or CsI

20
The Covalent Bond
• A covalent bond is based on the sharing of pairs of electrons
between two atoms.

• Driving force behind bond formation is lowering of overall

energy.

• Ionic bonding lowers energy by transferring electrons

between a metal and a nonmetal.

• Covalent bonding lowers energy by sharing electrons

between two nonmetals.

21
Chemical Bonds and Energy

• Potential energy between two atoms.

• Electrons on each atom are attracted to the nucleus of the other
atom.
• Nuclei of the bonding atoms repel each other, as do the bonding
electrons.
• A covalent bond forms where the attractive and repulsive forces
balance each other and energy is at a minimum. 22
Chemical Bonds and Energy
• Bond energy - energy released when isolated atoms form a
covalent bond.

• Bond length - the distance between the nuclei of the bonding

atoms where the potential energy is a minimum.

• Electron density distribution is different for isolated atoms and

covalently bonded atoms.
• Isolated atoms have spherical electron density around the
nucleus.
• Covalently bonded atoms have a build up of electron
density between bonded atoms.

23
Chemical Bonds and Energy
• When two atoms
approach one
another, the
negatively charged
electron clouds are
attracted to the other
atom’s positively
charged nucleus.

• The diagram
represents electron
density during bond
formation.
24
Chemical Bonds and Energy
• Formation of bonds always releases energy.
• Once a bond is formed, the same amount of energy, the
bond energy, is needed to break the bond apart.
• Bond energies vary depending on the bonding atoms
involved.

• Chemical reactions involve rearranging bonds, turning

reactants into products.
• Reactions are energetically favored if the energy required
to break reactant bonds is less than energy released
making product bonds.

25
Chemical Bonds and Reactions

• Bond energies for covalent

bond types in Teflon.

• For the combustion of

Teflon, the weak O–F
bonds of OF2 compared
to the strong C-F bonds
in Teflon accounts for
Teflon’s resistance to
burning.

26
Chemical Bonds and the Structure of Molecules

• During ionic bond formation, the cations and anions achieve

np6 electronic configurations (noble gas configuration).
• Metals lose electrons.
• Nonmetals gain electrons.

• During covalent bond formation, electrons are shared

between two atoms.
• Shared electrons are available to both bonding atoms.
• Sharing leads to 8 valence electrons around each atom.

27
Chemical Bonds and the Structure of Molecules

• Octet rule - an atom will form covalent bonds to achieve a

complement of eight valence electrons.

• The valence shell electronic configuration is ns2np6 for a

total of eight electrons.

• For the n = 1 shell, hydrogen violates the octet rule and

shares only 2 electrons.

28
Chemical Bonds and the Structure of Molecules

• Lewis dot symbols keep track of valence electrons,

especially for main group elements, allowing prediction of
bonding in molecules.
• To draw a Lewis dot symbol, the valence electrons are
represented by dots and are placed around the element
symbol.
• The first four dots are placed singly.
• Starting with the fifth dot, they are paired.

• The second period Lewis symbols are shown below:

29
Chemical Bonds and the Structure of Molecules

• Lewis dot symbols for main group elements.

• Elements within a group have the same number of
valence electrons and identical Lewis dot symbols.
30
Chemical Bonds and the Structure of Molecules

• Lewis dot structures show how electrons are shared in a

molecule.

• A pair of shared electrons between two atoms is a bonding

pair.

• Bonding pairs represented by a line between two atomic

symbols.

• Pairs of electrons associated with one atom are

nonbonding or lone pair electrons.

31
Chemical Bonds and the Structure of Molecules

• By sharing an electron from each atom, two hydrogen atoms

can form a covalent bond.
• Hydrogen violates the octet rule by sharing only two
electrons.

• When two fluorine atoms combine, they form a stable

covalent bond.
• By sharing a pair of electrons, each atom is surrounded
by eight valence electrons.
32
Chemical Bonds and the Structure of Molecules

• Bonding atoms in molecules can share more than one

bonding pair of electrons.

• A double bond results when two bonding pairs are shared.

• A triple bond results when three bonding pairs are shared.

• Strength of the covalent bond increases as the number of

bonding pairs increases.

33
Electronegativity and Bond Polarity

• Bonding between the two ends of the bonding continuum,

ionic and covalent bonding, is described using
electronegativity and bond polarity.

• Electronegativity is the attraction of an atom for the shared

electrons in a covalent bond.
• Electronegativities are not measured quantities.
• Electronegativities are assigned based on factors such as
atomic size, electron affinity, and ionization energy.
• The higher the electronegativity value, the more likely an
element will attract extra electron density during
compound formation.

34
Electronegativity

• Electronegativities increase from left to right across a period

and from bottom to top for a group.
• Fluorine is the most electronegative element, with an
electronegativity of 4.0.
35
Bond Polarity
• Electron density is not shared equally when elements with
different electronegativities bond.
• More than half of the electron density is associated with
the more electronegative element.
• The more electronegative element experiences an
increase in electron density and attains a partial negative
charge.
• The less electronegative element experiences a decrease
in electron density and attains a partial positive charge.
• The two points of positive and negative charge constitute
a dipole.
• The bond has an electric field associated with it.

36
Bond Polarity
• A bond along which a dipole exists is a polar bond.

• Also referred to as a polar covalent bond since electrons

are still being shared.

• The greater the electronegativity difference, the more polar

the bond.

• When the electronegativity difference is zero, the bond is

classified as nonpolar covalent.

• When the electronegativity difference exceeds 2.0, the bond

is classified as ionic.
37
Bond Polarity

• The formation of the polar covalent HF bond.

• The more electronegative F has a partial negative charge.
• The less electronegative H has a partial positive charge.
38
Example Problem 7.3
• Which bond is the most polar: C–H, O–H, or H–Cl? For each
of these bonds, determine which atom has a partial positive
charge.

39
Bond Polarity
• Bond polarity is important in
biocompatibility.

• Cells often have polar

bonds on their surfaces
that interact with water.

• Substances such as
amorphous silica can
interact strongly with cell
surfaces, such as the red
blood cell, and damage
them.

40
Keeping Track of Bonding: Lewis Structures

• Lewis structures indicate how many bonds are formed and

between which elements in a compound.

• Step 1 - Count the total valence electrons in the molecule or

ion.
• Sum the number of valence electrons for each element in
a molecule.
• For ions, add or subtract valence electrons to account for
the charge.

41
Keeping Track of Bonding: Lewis Structures

• For the compound OF2, the number of valence electrons is

20.

F 2 x 7 = 14
O 1 x6 = 6
Total = 20

42
Keeping Track of Bonding: Lewis Structures

• Step 2 - Draw the “skeletal structure” of the molecule.

• The element written first in the formula is usually the
central atom, unless it is hydrogen.
• Usually, the central atom is the least electronegative.

43
Keeping Track of Bonding: Lewis Structures

• Step 3 - Place single bonds between all connected atoms in

the structure by drawing lines between them.
• A single line represents a bonding pair.
• Four electrons are placed in bonds.
• Sixteen electrons are left to place.

44
Keeping Track of Bonding: Lewis Structures

• Step 4 - Place the remaining valence electrons not accounted

for on individual atoms until the octet rule is satisfied. Place
electrons as lone pairs whenever possible.
• Place electrons first on outer atoms, then on central
atoms.
• Six electrons are placed as lone pairs on each F
satisfies the octet rule for each F.
• The four remaining electrons are placed on the O to
satisfy the octet rule for each O.

45
Keeping Track of Bonding: Lewis Structures

• Step 5 - Create multiple bonds by shifting lone pairs into

bonding positions as needed for any atoms that do not have a
full octet of valence electrons.
• Correctly choosing which atoms to form multiple bonds
between comes from experience.
• Multiple bonds are not required for OF2, as the octet rule is
satisfied for each atom.

46
Example Problem 7.4
• Calcium phosphate is an important precursor for the formation
of bioceramic coatings. Draw the Lewis structure of the
phosphate ion, PO43–.

47
Example Problem 7.5
• Poly(vinyl alcohol) is used in several biomaterials
applications, including surgical sutures. Draw the Lewis
structure of vinyl alcohol, CH2CHOH, the monomer from
which poly(vinyl alcohol) is made.

48
Resonance
• Resonance structures can be drawn when the choice of
multiple bond location is arbitrary.

• The position of all atoms are identical; only the positions

of the electrons are different.

• The actual structure is a hybrid, an average of the

contributing structures, and NOT a mixture of them.

49
Resonance

• SO2 has a total of 18

valence electrons.

• S is the least
electronegative element and
the central atom.

• Octet not satisfied for S.

• A double bond can be

made to satisfy the
octet rule, but from which
side? 50
Resonance

• The two resonance structures for SO2.

• The “real” structure is a hybrid of the two structures.

• The double arrow indicates the structures are resonance

structures.

51
Resonance

• The two resonance structures for benzene.

• Indicates the two ways to distribute 3 double bonds
among 6 carbon atoms.
• The true structure is an average of the two resonance
structures. 52
Orbital Overlap and Chemical Bonding

• Lewis dot structures provide insight into a molecule’s bonding,

but does not tell how a covalent bond is formed.

• Electrons are modeled as waves.

• When two waves occupy the same space, they interfere

with each other.

• Constructive and destructive interference are possible.

53
Orbital Overlap and Chemical Bonding

• Two sine waves illustrate

interference.

• Two in phase sine waves

add together with
constructive interference;
new amplitude is twice
the original

• Two out of phase sine

waves add together with
destructive interference;
they cancel out

54
Orbital Overlap and Chemical Bonding

• Formation of chemical bonds is an example of constructive

interference between electron waves.

• For interference to occur, electron waves must occupy the

same space.

• Valence orbitals of one atom must be positioned to overlap

with the valence orbitals of the other atom.

55
Orbital Overlap and Chemical Bonding

• Valence bond model of chemical bonding - all chemical bonds

are the result of overlap between atomic orbitals.

• For H2, each H atom has a single valence electron in a 1s

orbital.

• The 1s orbitals overlap to form the covalent bond.

• s orbitals are spherical, there is no preferred direction of

approach.

56
Orbital Overlap and Chemical Bonding

• Overlap of the 1s orbitals for

the covalent bond in
molecular hydrogen.
• Top: Overlap shown by
plotting the wave
functions for the 1s
orbitals.
• Bottom: Shading to
represent the buildup of
electron density.

57
Orbital Overlap and Chemical Bonding

• For N2, the Lewis structure shows a total of 6 electrons

shared.

• Each N atom has a single valence electron in each 2p

orbital.
• The 2p orbital set can overlap in different orientations due
to their shapes.
• A 2p orbital on one N overlaps end-to-end with a 2p orbital
on the second N forming a sigma, , bond.
• A sigma bond is the result of constructive interference for
end-to-end overlap, where electron density lies along a line
between the bonding atoms.
58
Orbital Overlap and Chemical Bonding

• Formation of a sigma bond by the end-to-end overlap of two

p orbitals.

• Two p orbitals approach each other along the x, y, or

z axis.

• All p orbitals are described as lying along the x, y or z axis.

59
Orbital Overlap and Chemical Bonding

• The remaining two 2p orbitals on each N overlap side-to-side

forming pi, , bonds.
• A pi bond is the result of constructive interference for side-
to-side overlap, where electron density lies above and
below, or in front and in back of a line between the
bonding atoms.
• Two pi bonds can form between the two nuclei.

60
Hybrid Orbitals
• Orbital Hybridization reconciles the notion of orbital overlap
with observations of molecular shapes and structures.

• Bond angle predicted by orbital overlap of p and s orbitals

in H2O is 90o.

• Bond angle in H2O actually larger than 90o.

61
Hybrid Orbitals
• During orbital hybridization the repulsion between electrons in
bonding atoms can be strong enough to reshape the orbitals
of the atoms.
• The angles between the reshaped orbitals must match
observed bond angles.
• CH4 is the simplest binary
compound of C and H.
• All four bond angles are
109.5o.
• Four identical orbitals
with angles of 109.5o
between them are
needed on C.
62
Hybrid Orbitals
• Hybrid orbitals are created by a linear combination of atomic
orbitals, producing an equal number of hybrid orbitals.

• Orbitals are mathematical in nature.

• Two atomic orbitals combine, two hybrid orbitals are

generated.

63
Hybrid Orbitals

• Hybridization of the s and p orbitals on carbon.

• The four sp3 hybrid orbitals have equal energy.
• The four valence electrons are distributed evenly
across the sp3 hybrid orbitals.
• The angle between the sp3 hybrid orbitals is 109.5o.

64
Hybrid Orbitals

• Hybrid orbital name comes from the type and number of

atomic orbitals combined (e.g., sp3)
• The indicated orbital geometry gives rise to common
molecular shapes.
65
Shapes of Molecules
• Molecular shape - the way bonded atoms arrange themselves
in three dimensions.

• Molecular shape affects molecular properties, including

reactivity.

• Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory -

molecules assume a shape that allows them to minimize the
repulsions between electron pairs in the valence shell of the
central atom.
• Electron pairs include both lone pair electrons and
bonding pair electrons.

66
Shapes of Molecules

• Bond angles and shapes are predicted by electron pair repulsion

between valence electron pairs. 67
Shapes of Molecules

68
Shapes of Molecules
• Molecular geometries are predicted systematically.

• Draw the Lewis dot structure.

• Count the number of bonding and nonbonding electron

pairs around the central atom.

• Double and triple bonds count as one bonding pair.

• For zero nonbonding pairs on central atom, molecular

shape matches shape predicted by VSEPR.

• For nonbonding pairs on central atom, a base geometry

predicted by VSEPR theory is used. 69
Shapes of Molecules
• Nonbonding electrons on central atom influence molecular
geometry.

• Actual molecular geometry based on what base geometry

would look like if nonbonding electron positions were
“empty”.

• If more than one shape is possible, choose the shape that

minimizes overall repulsion of electron pairs.

• The order of repulsive interactions is lone pair–lone pair >

lone pair– bond pair > bond pair–bond pair.

• Lone pair electrons occupy more space than bonding pair

electrons since they are not localized between two nuclei.
70
Example Problem 7.6
• Determine the shape of each of the following species:

• PO43–

• PCl5

71
Shapes of Molecules

• Lone pair electrons

occupy more space
than bonding electrons.

• For 4 bonding
electron pairs and a
lone pair, the lone
pair occupies the
less repulsive
equatorial position.

72
Shapes of Molecules

• Molecular shapes for various combinations of bonding and

nonbonding electron pairs.
73
Shapes of Molecules

74
Example Problem 7.7
• Determine the shape of the following molecules using VSEPR
theory:

• SF4

• BrF5

75
Example Problem 7.8
• Use VSEPR theory to determine the shape of the NOF
molecule.

76
Shapes of Molecules
• Molecular geometry for larger molecules is possible.

• Geometry is assigned for each central atom.

• Hybridization on each central atom assists in

determination of overall geometry.

77
Shapes of Molecules
• For vinyl alcohol, each carbon has 3
bonded atoms and no lone pairs.

• Each carbon has trigonal planar

geometry.

• Hybridization on each carbon is sp2.

• Formation of pi bond between
carbon atoms forces molecule to
be planar.

78
Molecular Scale Engineering for Drug Delivery

• Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) may offer a

promising route for drug delivery, since they can deliver drugs
to a targeted location and thus avoid side effects from
affecting non-targeted organs.
• One gram has about the same surface area as a football
field.
• Pores can be used to store drug molecules.
• Different from amorphous silica; honeycomb structure and
small size prevents cell damage

79