MagicJigPipe - 28-9-2009 at 16:49
Could someone please explain to me (quickly if possible) why nitric oxide can form (N triple O). I know it is a resonance structure but I need to
know why. As in, the "theory" behind it. I know how to make it work on paper, but why?
12AX7 - 28-9-2009 at 18:47
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=nitrogen+oxide+mole...
I guess it's more like, a triple bond minus one half. It's a radical, so it's got an extra electron. It's not a "desirable" electron, all alone in
an antibonding orbital, but it makes the molecule charge-neutral, which is more important. And I guess the 2.5 order bond is still strong enough to
stick together, so it works.
Tim
JohnWW - 28-9-2009 at 18:55
It is the nitrosyl cation, NO+, or N[triplebond]O(+), formed when nitric oxide loses the unpaired electron, that contains a triple bond (and
tetravalent O). It occurs as a cation only as the salt of the strongest acids, although covalent organic nitrosyl compounds exist.
Nitric Oxide, itself, NO, contains an unpaired electron, •N=O, and a double bond. In spite of this, it shows very little tendency to dimerize, which
may be evidence that it has a canonical form to some extent in which the unpaired electron forms a single-electron third bond, with a resulting
partial positive charge on the O atom and partial negative charge on the N atom. (Measurement of its dipole moment would confirm this).
There is also the nitrosyl or nitroxide anion, obtained by NO gaining an electron, (-)N=O, from an highly electropositive metal by direct (and highly
exothermic) reaction.
[Edited on 29-9-09 by JohnWW]
MagicJigPipe - 29-9-2009 at 06:27
Thank you very much. Unfortunately I didn't get the answer in time to win my argument but oh well. With learning, everybody wins! *with fake
over-enthusiasm*
I kept coming up with a lone electron on nitrogen (for it to be neutral with a double bond). I get it now.
Oh yeah, I found some cool characters that I need to keep handy from now on: ≡∫≈±‡†√∑∞ Look! N≡O!
Awesome! We can use the 'identical to' sign for triple bonds.
Again, thanks.
[Edited on 9-29-2009 by MagicJigPipe]