Chemical Forums

Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Chaste on September 20, 2008, 11:09:41 PM

Title: Why does NO tend to lose an electron to form an NO+ ion?
Post by: Chaste on September 20, 2008, 11:09:41 PM

Can anyone explain that in terms of molecular energy level diagram preferably?
Thanks.

Title: Re: Why does NO tend to lose an electron to form an NO+ ion?
Post by: Yggdrasil on September 20, 2008, 11:15:43 PM

Have you drawn the molecular orbital diagram for NO?

Title: Re: Why does NO tend to lose an electron to form an NO+ ion?
Post by: Chaste on September 20, 2008, 11:48:31 PM

yep yep I've drawn the MO diagram for NO. so I can drawn reference from your textual explanations.

Title: Re: Why does NO tend to lose an electron to form an NO+ ion?
Post by: Yggdrasil on September 21, 2008, 12:58:10 AM

Do you notice anything strange about the MO diagram, such as unfilled levels or unpaired electrons?

Title: Re: Why does NO tend to lose an electron to form an NO+ ion?
Post by: Chaste on September 21, 2008, 10:18:00 PM

There is 1 unpaired electron at the pi* 2p hybridized orbital. Does that mean, that electron being in a higher enery antibonding orbital is unstable compared to the rest and requires less energy to get ionized?

Title: Re: Why does NO tend to lose an electron to form an NO+ ion?
Post by: Yggdrasil on September 22, 2008, 02:48:22 AM

In general, compounds that contain an unpaired electrons (i.e. radical) are fairly unstable and have a preference for getting rid of the unpaired electron.  Furthermore, the unpaired electron resides in an antibonding orbital which makes the electron destabilize the N-O bond.

Title: Re: Why does NO tend to lose an electron to form an NO+ ion?
Post by: Chaste on September 25, 2008, 09:48:44 PM

Thanks for replying.