IChO 2005 · Theory problem 5

Lewis Structure

5.1 Draw one Lewis structure for each of the following molecules.

a) \(\ce{N2}\)
b) \(\ce{NH3}\)
c) \(\ce{O3}\)
d) \(\ce{SO3}\)

5.2 Draw the Lewis structure of carbon monoxide and assign formal charges and oxidation states to both the carbon and oxygen atoms in carbon monoxide.

Thiourea-S,S-dioxide, \(\ce{O2SC(NH2)2}\), has the following skeletal structure

Figure 1

5.3 Draw the Lewis structure of thiourea-S,S-dioxide with zero formal charges on all atoms.

5.4 Based on the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) model, what is the geometry around the sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen according to the Lewis structure you predicted from 5.3?

5.4a What is the geometry around the sulfur atom? Select your answer from the following choices.

a) trigonal pyramidal
b) triangular planar
c) T-shape

5.4b Similarly, what is the geometry around the C-atom? Select your answer from the following choices.

a) trigonal pyramidal
b) triangular planar
c) T-shape

5.4c Finally, what is the geometry around the N-atom? Select your answer from the following choices.

a) trigonal pyramidal
b) triangular planar
c) T-shape

Molecular structure in the solid state is usually determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. According to this method, the structure of thiourea-S,S-dioxide is shown below:

Figure 2

All the N, H atoms are coplanar with S, C atoms, and the dihedral angle between the \(\ce{OSO}\) plane and the \(\ce{SC(NH2)2}\) plane is \(65^\circ\).

5.5 Draw the Lewis structure and resonance forms that are consistent with the geometry determined.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 5.1(a): Dinitrogen, N#N: an \(\ce{N#N}\) triple bond and one lone pair on each N.
  • 5.1(b): Ammonia, N: three single \(\ce{N-H}\) bonds and one lone pair on N.
  • 5.1(c): Ozone, O=[O+][O-]: \(\ce{O=O^+-O^-}\). The double-bonded terminal O, central O, and single-bonded terminal O have two, one, and three lone pairs, respectively.
  • 5.1(d): Sulfur trioxide, O=S(=O)=O: three \(\ce{S=O}\) double bonds; two lone pairs on each O and none on S. All formal charges are zero.
  • 5.2: Carbon monoxide, [C-]#[O+]: a triple bond and one lone pair on each atom. Formal charges: C \(-1\), O \(+1\). Oxidation states: C \(+2\), O \(-2\).
  • 5.3: Thiourea-S,S-dioxide, NC(N)=S(=O)=O: \(\ce{O=S(=O)=C(NH2)2}\). Each O has two lone pairs, each N has one, and S and C have none. Every formal charge is zero.
  • 5.4a: b) triangular planar around S.
  • 5.4b: b) triangular planar around C.
  • 5.4c: a) trigonal pyramidal around each N.
  • 5.5: Geometry-consistent thiourea-S,S-dioxide contributors include NC(=[NH2+])[S-](=O)=O and [NH2+]=C(N)[S-](=O)=O. Each has a single S–C bond and one lone pair on S. Related contributors place the negative formal charge on oxygen, for example NC(=[NH2+])S(=O)[O-]. Together, the resonance description accounts for pyramidal S and planar C and N environments.

Solution

For the following electron bookkeeping, \[ \text{formal charge} = V-n_{\mathrm{nonbonding}}-\sum(\text{bond orders}), \] where \(V\) is the number of valence electrons of the neutral atom and \(n_{\mathrm{nonbonding}}\) counts nonbonding electrons, not pairs.

5.1

a) Dinitrogen, N#N.

The molecule has \(2(5)=10\) valence electrons. Put six electrons into the triple bond and leave one lone pair on each nitrogen. Both atoms have octets, and each formal charge is \[ 5-2-3=0. \]

b) Ammonia, N.

There are \(5+3(1)=8\) valence electrons. Three single nitrogen–hydrogen bonds use six electrons; the remaining two constitute a lone pair on nitrogen. Nitrogen has an octet and each hydrogen a duet. All formal charges are zero.

c) Ozone, O=[O+][O-].

There are \(3(6)=18\) valence electrons. Draw an O–O–O chain with one double bond and one single bond: \[ \ce{O=O^+-O^-}. \] The bonds contain six electrons. Assign two lone pairs to the double-bonded terminal oxygen, one to the central oxygen, and three to the single-bonded terminal oxygen, accounting for the remaining twelve electrons.

The formal charges are \[ \begin{aligned} \text{double-bonded terminal O:}&\quad 6-4-2=0,\\ \text{central O:}&\quad 6-2-3=+1,\\ \text{single-bonded terminal O:}&\quad 6-6-1=-1. \end{aligned} \] Exchanging the single and double bonds gives the equivalent resonance contributor.

d) Sulfur trioxide, O=S(=O)=O.

There are \(6+3(6)=24\) valence electrons. One conventional expanded-octet Lewis structure has three sulfur–oxygen double bonds. These use twelve electrons; the remaining twelve form two lone pairs on each oxygen.

Sulfur has no lone pair and has twelve electrons in its bonding shell. The formal charges are \[ \mathrm{FC(S)}=6-6=0,\qquad \mathrm{FC(O)}=6-4-2=0. \]

5.2

Carbon monoxide, [C-]#[O+], has \(4+6=10\) valence electrons. A triple bond and one lone pair on each atom give both atoms octets.

Formal charges follow from equal division of the bonding electrons: \[ \mathrm{FC(C)}=4-2-3=-1,\qquad \mathrm{FC(O)}=6-2-3=+1. \]

For oxidation states, assign all bonding electrons to the more electronegative oxygen. Carbon retains only its two nonbonding electrons, whereas oxygen receives eight electrons in total: \[ \mathrm{OS(C)}=4-2=+2,\qquad \mathrm{OS(O)}=6-8=-2. \]

Atom Formal charge Oxidation state
C \(-1\) \(+2\)
O \(+1\) \(-2\)

5.3

Thiourea-S,S-dioxide has \[ 2(6)+6+4+2(5)+4(1)=36 \] valence electrons.

With the specified skeleton and zero formal charges:

  • Each nitrogen has three single bonds—two to hydrogen and one to carbon—and one lone pair.
  • Each oxygen has a double bond to sulfur and two lone pairs.
  • Carbon requires a total bond order of four. Its two single bonds to nitrogen therefore require a double bond to sulfur.

The resulting structure is thiourea-S,S-dioxide, NC(N)=S(=O)=O: \[ \ce{O=S(=O)=C(NH2)2}. \]

Thus, sulfur has three double bonds and no lone pair. The formal-charge check is:

Atom Nonbonding electrons Sum of bond orders Formal charge
S 0 6 \(6-0-6=0\)
C 0 4 \(4-0-4=0\)
Each N 2 3 \(5-2-3=0\)
Each O 4 2 \(6-4-2=0\)
Each H 0 1 \(1-0-1=0\)

The structure contains 24 bonding electrons and 12 nonbonding electrons, totaling the required 36.

5.4

In VSEPR, a multiple bond counts as one electron domain. Applying the model specifically to the localized, zero-formal-charge structure from 5.3 gives:

Part Central atom Bonding domains Lone pairs VSEPR type Predicted geometry and choice
5.4a S 3 0 \(AX_3\) b) triangular planar
5.4b C 3 0 \(AX_3\) b) triangular planar
5.4c Each N 3 1 \(AX_3E\) a) trigonal pyramidal

“Triangular planar” in the choices is the usual trigonal planar geometry.

5.5

The experimental drawing shows a pyramidal sulfur environment and a planar \(\ce{SC(NH2)2}\) portion. The zero-formal-charge structure alone does not explain these features.

Starting from that structure, move the carbon–sulfur \(\pi\)-electron pair onto sulfur and donate a nitrogen lone pair into a carbon–nitrogen \(\pi\) bond. This is resonance electron bookkeeping, with no movement of atoms.

A suitable pair of thiourea-S,S-dioxide contributors is:

\[ \ce{H2N-C(=NH2^+)-S^-(=O)2 <-> H2N^+=C(-NH2)-S^-(=O)2}. \]

Their SMILES are NC(=[NH2+])[S-](=O)=O and [NH2+]=C(N)[S-](=O)=O.

To draw each contributor completely:

  • Connect sulfur to carbon by a single bond, and to each oxygen by a double bond.
  • Give sulfur one lone pair and formal charge \(-1\).
  • Double-bond carbon to one nitrogen. That nitrogen has two N–H bonds, no lone pair, and formal charge \(+1\).
  • Single-bond carbon to the other nitrogen. That nitrogen has two N–H bonds and one lone pair.
  • Give each oxygen two lone pairs.
  • Obtain the second contributor by exchanging the roles of the two nitrogen atoms.

The nonzero formal charges are verified by \[ \mathrm{FC(S)}=6-2-5=-1,\qquad \mathrm{FC(N_{\text{double-bonded}})}=5-0-4=+1. \]

Related contributors place the negative formal charge on oxygen. One is thiourea-S,S-dioxide, NC(=[NH2+])S(=O)[O-]: \[ \ce{H2N-C(=NH2^+)-S(=O)-O^-}. \]

Here sulfur still has one lone pair, but its formal charge is zero: \[ \mathrm{FC(S)}=6-2-4=0. \] The single-bonded oxygen has three lone pairs and charge \(-1\); the double-bonded oxygen has two lone pairs. Independently exchanging the two nitrogen roles and the two oxygen roles gives four contributors of this type.

These resonance descriptions explain the geometry:

  • Sulfur: three bonded neighbors and one lone pair give an \(AX_3E\), trigonal pyramidal environment.
  • Carbon: three bonding domains give a trigonal planar environment.
  • Nitrogen: delocalization across the nitrogen–carbon–nitrogen group gives both carbon–nitrogen bonds partial double-bond character. Planar nitrogen environments permit the required orbital overlap.
  • Relative orientation: the single carbon–sulfur bond in these contributors accommodates the noncoplanar arrangement shown experimentally. Lewis structures and elementary VSEPR do not determine the numerical dihedral angle of \(65^\circ\).

The solution was checked against the official solution.