Intramolecular bonding

Intramolecular bonding

Definition:

Types of Intramolecular Bonding:

Pure Covalent Bonds:

• Definition: In pure covalent bonds, atoms share electrons equally.
• Example: Diatomic molecules like oxygen (O₂) and nitrogen (N₂) have pure covalent bonds, where both atoms share electrons equally.

Polar Covalent Bonds:

• Definition: In polar covalent bonds, atoms share electrons unevenly, leading to partial charges on the atoms.
• Example: In a water molecule (H₂O), oxygen attracts electrons more strongly than hydrogen, resulting in a polar covalent bond. Oxygen becomes partially negative (δ⁻) and hydrogen becomes partially positive (δ⁺).

Ionic Bonds:

• Definition: Ionic bonds involve the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, creating positively and negatively charged ions that are attracted to each other.
• Example: In sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium (Na) loses an electron to become a positively charged ion (Na⁺), while chlorine (Cl) gains that electron to become a negatively charged ion (Cl⁻). The electrostatic attraction between these ions forms an ionic bond.

Bonding Continuum:

• These types of intramolecular bonding can be arranged on a continuum based on their ionic character. Pure covalent bonds have no ionic character, while polar covalent bonds have some, and ionic bonds have the highest degree of ionic character.

Understanding intramolecular bonding is essential in chemistry as it influences the structure, properties, and reactivity of molecules.