Back Bonding in Chemistry

 I was teaching my students the concept of back bonding in chemistry class. Back bonding is a chemical phenomenon in which electrons pass from one atom's atomic orbital to an acceptor (ligand). The metal's electrons are used to bind to the ligand, relieving the metal of excess negative charge in the process. I  summarized my lesson in the form of a poem. The same I am listing below for my esteemed readers.

I am Carbon #monoxide(CO), a daughter

Transition#Metal(TM) is my mother

  She is special as she has d electrons in her outermost orbit.

I, CO, wish to be together with my #mother (TM)

To do so, I form a sigma bond by overlap

Of my non-bonding (or weakly anti-bonding)

 sp-hybridized #electron pair on my carbon

With a blend of d-, s-, and #p-orbitals on the TM -My mother

 

After the formation of the #sigma bond,

There is an overlap of filled d-orbitals on the TM (mother)

 With a pair of #pi- antibonding orbitals

 Projecting from the carbon atom of  me (CO),

This bonding is from #TM to CO

Rather than usual from CO to TM

It involves pi orbitals.

This phenomenon is called #pi back bonding(BB)

The compound formed with BB of d electrons has pi bonding character.

Through BB, the TM-carbon (part of me) bond is strengthened

Sukarma Thareja 

India

https://sites.google.com/site/drsukarmaranithareja/home

For STEM Poems and Life stories

Science of Life and Nature: A Photo Poetry Collection: Sukarma Thareja: 9781521260067: Amazon.com: Books