Antibonding molecular orbital

<p>In <a href="/facts/Theoretical_chemistry/uqcyS5KH">theoretical chemistry</a>, an antibonding orbital is a type of <a href="/facts/Molecular_orbital/0dP30jaa">molecular orbital</a> that weakens the <a href="/facts/Chemical_bond/ArNUMnIB">chemical bond</a> between two <a href="/facts/Atom/FoQ4kGN5">atoms</a> and helps to raise the <a href="/facts/Energy_level/66x51Khc">energy</a> of the <a href="/facts/Molecule/N9ljSfFq">molecule</a> relative to the separated atoms. Such an orbital has one or more <a href="/facts/Node_(physics)/7tE2rDnb">nodes</a> in the bonding region between the <a href="/facts/Atomic_nucleus/orpIm5Xl">nuclei</a>. The <a href="/facts/Electron_density/L5yDsk6j">density</a> of the <a href="/facts/Electron/L0KBo5cW">electrons</a> in the orbital is concentrated outside the bonding region and acts to pull one nucleus away from the other and tends to cause mutual repulsion between the two atoms.  This is in contrast to a <a href="/facts/Bonding_molecular_orbital/1cpledcB">bonding molecular orbital</a>, which has a lower energy than that of the separate atoms, and is responsible for chemical bonds.
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Antibonding molecular orbital open-in-new

Antibonding molecular orbital