Hybridization of atomic orbitals

[mendes]

Hi all,

To my knowledge hybridization of atomc orbitals occurs only between orbitals in the same atom, with similar energies, in order to produce new atomic orbitals, identical with the same energy, to make chemical bonds with other atoms. There are sp, sp2, sp3, etc... possibilities.

My problem is that I often read about hybridization between an atomic orbital from one atom with another orbital from another atom !

http://www.google.is/search?hl=is&c...&q=TM-d+hybridize+O-p++ZnO&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=Can anybody explain this type of "hybridization" of atomic orbitals between different atoms ? Is it just "overlap", i.e. chemical bond, or a real hybridization ?

 

[DrDu]

Hi all,

To my knowledge hybridization of atomc orbitals occurs only between orbitals in the same atom, with same energy, in order to produce new atomic orbitals, identical with the same energy, to make chemical bonds with other atoms. There are sp, sp2, sp3, etc... possibilities.

How many atoms do you know where s and p electrons have the same energy?

 

[mendes]

How many atoms do you know where s and p electrons have the same energy?

I should have written "with similar energies" instead of "the same energy". Thanks.

 

[DrDu]

Hybridization in the stricter sense is a term from valence bond theory. It refers to the use of a superposition of atomic orbitals instead of orbitals of pure s, p, d ... type. Occasionally, also hybrid orbitals including admixture of orbitals from neighbouring atoms are considered.
The examples you cited are MO or DFT type calculations. There, hybridization is used in a more qualitative sense, meaning simply that the band orbitals are a superposition of s and p or d orbitals.