Model Description of Some Molecular Properties by the Modified-Atom-in-Molecule (MAM) Approach

Conclusive evidence is presented whlch shows that the concept of modified atoms in molecule (MAM) is a viable model for a good description of numerous molecular properties. Atomic modification . can be decomposed to isotropic and anisotropic components. The isotropic change caused by molecular formation is given by the electric monopoles of atoms. It is a consequence of the charge drift accompanying chemical bonding. Atomic monopoles reproduce diamagneticshielding of the nuclei rJAd, diamagnetic susceptibility xd and ESCA shifts with an intriguing success. The atomic monopole model is easily extended to include higher local multipoles (i. e. anisotropic contribution), thus yielding satisfactory total molecular multipoles and extramolecular electrostatic potentials. Salient directional properties of covalent bonds are well described by the use of polarized atomic orbitals. It was shown that hybridization is the underlying concept which explains interrelations between steric features and local bond properties. Hybridization rationalizes in a natural and simple way the electron pair (Lewis) bond which is one of the corner stones of chemistry being particularly important for the first row atoms. It was concluded that the high information content of hybrid AOs can be ascribed to the fact that they conform to the local symmetry of the immediate molecular environment. Thus the HAOs are local wavefunctions of the zeroth order which describe atomic angular distortions. Although atoms can not be uniquely defined within molecules, the MAM model has high interpretative power yielding reasonable results. Special attention deserves a picture of charged atoms immersed in the »sea« of mixed electron density, because it is free of any arbitrariness in the slicing of molecular volume of partitioning of overlap charge. Finally, the definition of pseudo-observables is given. It was concluded that atomic monopoles and hybridization indices are pseudo-observables par exceHence. A.pparently there is colour, apparently sweetness, apparently bitterness; actuaUy there are only atoms and the void. Democritus, 420 B. C