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Predicting the Stability of Hypervalent Molecules

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Tracy A. Mitchell , Debbie Finocchio and Jeremy Kua

Department of Chemistry, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110

J. Chem. Educ., 2007, 84 (4), p 629

DOI: 10.1021/ed084p629

Publication Date (Web): April 1, 2007

Abstract

In this exercise, students use concepts in thermochemistry such as bond energy, ionization potentials, and electron affinities to predict the relative stability of two hypervalent molecules (PF₅ and PH₅) relative to their respective non-hypervalent counterparts. Students will use experimental data from the Internet as well as collected data from their own computer calculations. A novel part of this exercise is to predict a priori if a hypervalent molecule should be stable based only on information gathered from stable non-hypervalent molecules. In addition, students will see how resonance structures can successfully describe bonding in hypervalent molecules without exceeding the octet rule.

Keywords (Audience):

First-Year Undergraduate / General

Keywords (Domain):

Inorganic Chemistry

Keywords (Feature):

Molecular Modeling Exercises and Experiments

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Computer-Based Learning

Keywords (Subject):

Computational Chemistry

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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).

Recoupled-Pair Bonding and 4-Electron 3-Center Bonding Units
Richard D. Harcourt
The Journal of Physical Chemistry A2011 115 (24), 6610-6616
- Recoupled-Pair Bonding and 4-Electron 3-Center Bonding Units
  Richard D. Harcourt
  The Journal of Physical Chemistry A2011 115 (24), 6610-6616
  Consideration is given to recoupled-pair bonding and the origin of electronic hypervalence for formulations of the bonding for symmetric 4-electron 3-center ((4e,3c)) bonding units with one overlapping atomic orbital per atomic center. Molecular orbital ...
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