Electrostatics, the Chemical Bond and Molecular Stability

Electrostatic models of the chemical bond are based on the Virial Theorem and hold promise for providing a reliable and accurate method for predicting heats of formation of molecules and free radicals. The Principle of Alternating Polarity which states that those compounds are most stable in which atoms of opposite polarity are bonded is shown to be quantitatively described by electrostatic models. Current fixed partial-charge models account for ΔH of hydrocarbon molecules and radicals. With inclusion of polarization effects, whose energies are small, they also account for the dipole moments in hydrocarbons. A brief account is given of a more general model with significant polarization interaction which is under development and which appears to be able to account for both ΔH and dipole moments of polar molecules.