CHEM 109A CLAS Determining Formal Charge - KEY Formal Charge (FC) is a method used to estimate the electron density at an atom in a molecule. Using this method assumes that all bonds are covalent which means all electrons are shared equally (a decent assumption in organic chemistry). Procedure 1. Draw Lewis structure(s) 2. Count the number of electrons around each atom (all lone pairs and ½ the bonding electrons) in the structure. 3. Subtract the number of electrons around each atom in the structure from the number of valence electrons. For example… 1. Determine the FC on each atom in the following compounds a. water Hs 1 O # valence e6 6 e- in 1 (2 lone pair + ½ the structure bonding e-) FC 0 0 There is no FC on any atom in the molecule b. hydronium ion , so should look like O 6 5 e- in 1 (1 lone pair + ½ the structure bonding e-) FC 0 +1 FC of +1 on O atom # valence e- Hs 1 c. borohydride ion , so should look like Page 1 of 4 CHEM 109A CLAS Determining Formal Charge - KEY Hs 1 B # valence e3 e- in 4 1 structure (½ the bonding e-) FC 0 -1 FC of -1 on B atom d. formic acid (HCOOH) Structure A Hs C O1 O2 # valence e1 4 6 6 e- in 1 4 6 6 structure FC 0 0 0 0 Structure B Hs C O1 O2 # valence e1 4 6 6 e- in 1 4 7 6 structure FC 0 0 -1 +1 Structure A has no FC & therefore is the more stable resonance contributor. FCs of Structure B balance each other out, so there is no net charge on the molecule. The total (net) FC must be the same for all resonance contributors. e. nitrobenzene Page 2 of 4 CHEM 109A CLAS Determining Formal Charge - KEY Structure A Hs Cs N O1 O2 # valence e1 4 5 6 6 e- in 1 4 4 6 7 structure FC 0 0 +1 0 -1 Structure B Hs Cs N O1 O2 # valence e1 4 5 6 6 e- in 1 4 4 7 6 structure FC 0 0 +1 -1 0 FCs balance each other out, so there is no net charge on the molecule. Both resonance contributors have the same amount of FC on the same atoms so they contribute equally to the resonance hybrid (see Drawing Resonance Structures Handout). OR (instead of performing steps 2 & 3 above) you can learn to identify some common bonding patterns and the associated FC. Bonding Patterns & FC – reproduced from an Aue handout. Most common patterns are in bold font. FC on… Carbon Nitrogen CH4 Oxygen NH3 2 bonds 2 lp 3 bonds 1 lp 4 bonds CH2CH2 N2H2 CHCH N2 H2 O Fluorine 1 bond 3 lp HF H2CO formaldehyde 0 2 bonds 1 lone pair (lp) carbene 1 bond 2 lp (sextet = very unstable) +1 3 bonds CH3+ methyl cation (sextet = very unstable, but can be 3 lp nitrene (sextet = very unstable) (sextet = very unstable) 4 bonds NH4+ ammonium 3 bonds 1 lp H3 O+ hydroiunium 2 bonds 2 lp Page 3 of 4 H2F+ fluoronium CHEM 109A CLAS Determining Formal Charge - KEY stabilized by hyperconjugation) 5 bonds CH5+ ion 2 bonds 1 lp (exceeds octet = very unstable) ion ion 3 lp NH2+ (sextet = very unstable) F+ fluorenium ion (sextet = very unstable) 2 bonds 1 lp +2 OH2+2 (sextet = very unstable) -1 3 bonds 1 lp - CH3 methyl anion 2 bonds 2 lp NH2 - 1 bond 3 lp 4 lp HOhydroxide ion Page 4 of 4 Ffluoride ion