CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

Does the state of a molecule, paramagnetic or diamagnetic, affects the strength of bonding. When explaining the strength or stability of a molecule, do you ever use their state to explain their strength and stability? Or do you simply use the bond order to explain all of the above?

Hello,

My TA did a example of F2 and F2- in our discussion. He said that F2- is weaker because it has one more anti-bonding and because it is paramagnetic. So when we compare two molecules, the one that is paramagnetic is weaker.

Hope that helps:)

Adding on to that, placing an electron in the bonding orbital stabilizes the molecule because it is in between the two nuclei. Conversely, placing electrons into the antibonding orbitals will decrease the stability of the molecule