Description of changes in chemical bonding along the pathways of chemical reactions by deformation of the molecular electrostatic potential
2025

Changes in Chemical Bonding During Reactions

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Żurowska Olga, Michalak Artur

Primary Institution: Jagiellonian University

Hypothesis

The study aims to examine the utility of the deformation of molecular electrostatic potential (ΔMEP) as a descriptor of chemical bonding along reaction pathways.

Conclusion

The analysis shows that the main changes in electronic structure occur in the transition-state region, and ΔMEP provides clearer indications of charge shifts compared to deformation density.

Supporting Evidence

  • The ΔMEP picture is consistent with deformation density for neutral species reactions.
  • Charge transfer dominates the ΔMEP picture in reactions with large electron density displacements.
  • Main electronic structure changes occur in the transition-state region.

Takeaway

This study looks at how chemical bonds change during reactions and finds that the way we measure these changes can help us understand the process better.

Methodology

Calculations were performed using the ADF package with specific exchange-correlation functionals and basis sets, analyzing various model reactions.

Limitations

The study focuses on model reactions and may not fully represent more complex real-world scenarios.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1007/s00894-024-06239-x

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