Covalent compounds

• The atoms in covalent compounds will?share?their outer valence electrons to achieve a?noble gas?configuration

Dot-and-cross diagrams of covalent compounds in which the atoms share their valence electrons

Double covalent bonding

Oxygen, O2

Covalent bonding in oxygen

Carbon dioxide, CO2

Covalent bonding in carbon dioxide

Ethene, C2H4

Covalent bonding in ethene

Triple covalent bonding

Nitrogen, N2

Covalent bonding in nitrogen

Dative covalent bonding?

• In?simple?covalent?bonds, the two atoms involved share electrons
• Some molecules have a?lone?pair of electrons that can be donated to form a bond with an?electron-deficient?atom
  • An electron-deficient atom is an atom that has an?unfilled outer orbital

   

• So?both electrons?are from the?same atom
• This type of bonding is called?dative covalent bonding?or?coordinate bonding
• An example with a dative bond is in an?ammonium ion
  • The hydrogen ion, H+?is?electron-deficient?and has space for two electrons in its shell
  • The nitrogen atom in ammonia has a lone pair of electrons which it can donate to the hydrogen ion to form a dative covalent bond

   

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Ammonia (NH3) can donate a lone pair to an electron-deficient proton (H+) to form a charged ammonium ion (NH4+)

Aluminium chloride

• Aluminium?chloride?is also formed using dative covalent bonding
• At?high temperatures?aluminium chloride can exist as a?monomer?(AlCl3)
  • The molecule is electron-deficient and needs two electrons to complete the aluminium atom’s outer shell

   

• At?lower temperatures?the two molecules of AlCl3?join together to form a dimer (Al2Cl6)
  • The molecules combine because lone pairs of electrons on two of the chlorine atoms form?two coordinate bonds?with the aluminium atoms

   

Aluminium chloride is also formed with a dative covalent bond in which two of the chlorine atoms donate their lone pairs to each of the aluminium atoms to form a dimer