Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: Kryptid on 08/08/2004 02:10:06
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http://server6.uploadit.org/files/Supercryptid-example1.JPG
I included a link just in case the image doesn't work.
I learned in Chemistry Lecture that an atom that is expected to be in the sp3 hybridization can sometimes be in the sp2 hybridization instead. This is due to the influence of secondary Lewis structures. For example, if you were to look at the primary Lewis structure of Pyrolle, you would see that there are no double bonds to the nitrogen atom. Therefore, you might conclude that the nitrogen is sp3 hybridized. However, the secondary Lewis structures do include a double bond to nitrogen, which causes it to be in the sp2 hybridization state instead.
This is where my question of Boric Acid comes into play: are the oxygen atoms in the Boric Acid molecule sp3 or sp2 hybridized? The primary Lewis structure would have you believe that they are sp3 hybridized, but since double bonds to oxygen exist in the secondary Lewis structures, this suggests that they are sp2 hybridized. B-O-H bond angle data would be important in determining this. If the angle is near 109.5 degrees, then it is likely sp3 hybridized, but if it is near 120 degrees, then it is probably sp2 hybridized.
So, does anyone know the answer? Does anyone have an idea on what the answer likely is? Does anyone have the bond angle information?
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Hybridization theory is kind of ruined by resonance structures. It assumes that bonds are in the order of whole numbers. You really can't assign sp3 or sp2 hydridization to boric acid, but you can compute the bond angles and lengths. I'll tell you what, I'm working on a project this weekend computing geometry of acetamide/HCl complexes, I'll put a boric acid model into the program and see what it finds.
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I haven't forgetting about this, it's just on hold temporarily.
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