Un ionic bond it is a conjunction that occurs between chemical elements, of metallic and non-metallic atoms whose effect creates a molecule that will be charged with electromagnetic energy, but it is not a simple process, so we invite you to find out what it is in this article.
What is Ionic Bond?
It conceives of a ionic bond, also called electrovalent bond, as we have already advanced before, to one of the forms of chemical conjunction, which generally occurs between metallic and non-metallic atoms, which merge due to a constant transmission of electrons, giving as The result is the existence of a molecule charged with electromagnetic force, which is called the ion.
The electronic transmission in a ionic bond it always occurs from a metallic atom to a non-metallic atom, or to put it better, from those that are more electronegatively charged to those that are less charged. The reason for this is that the union takes place due to the force of attraction that occurs between particles of different signs, whose differentiation in the electronegativity coefficient is greater than or equal to 1,7 on the Pauling scale.
It is good to make it clear that, although a ionic bond is differentiated from the resulting covalent, which is a shared use of electronic pairs located in the external field of the two atoms, in truth there is no pure ionic bond, but a standard is used that is actually an exaggeration of the covalent bond , which is practical to be able to explain the behavior and carry out the atomic analysis in these cases.
Therefore, it should be noted that there is always room for a margin of covalence in these conjunctions. However, contrary to Polar Covalent Bond which generally forms polar molecules, the ions do not have a positive and a negative pole, but rather they are potentiated by a single type of charge.
Because of this, we will find ourselves facing a cation, in the event that we have only a charge with a positive sign, and we will be facing an anion, assuming that the charge is only negative in sign.
How is an ionic bond formed?
It happens when an atom gives up one or more electrons and becomes a positively charged ion or cation. Something to keep in mind is that the ability to give up electrons is characteristic of metals.
Now when another atom acquires one or more electrons it becomes a negatively charged ion or anion. This quality of acquiring electrons is possessed by non-metallic elements.
The moment the oppositely charged ions come together, an electrostatic attraction is created and that is when the electron is formed. ionic bond.
Characteristics of Ionic Bonds
The general characteristics of this type of link are as follows:
- It is a link of strong character. From the class of ions in question, the strength of this atomic conjunction can be very sharp, so the arrangement of these compounds has a tendency to build crystal lattices that are very hard.
- It usually produces solid elements. At normal temperatures and pressure conditions, they normally give rise to compound elements that have a rigid, crystalline, cubic molecular structure, creating what are known as salts. There are also ionic liquids, called molten salts, which are not so easy to find but are very versatile due to their uses.
- They have a high degree of fusion. The melting point, which is between 300 °C and 1000 °C, and the boiling point of these compounds is normally much higher than the normal average, due to the fact that large portions of energy are needed to break the electrical attraction that exists between them. the atoms.
- Soluble in water. Most of the salts obtained by this procedure are usually diluted in the presence of water and other aqueous solutions that have an electric dipole, that is, that have a negative and positive pole.
- electrical driving. Salts in the solid state do not constitute a material that conducts electricity, because their ions are located in immovable situations in an electrical network. On the contrary, once the salt is dissolved in an aqueous medium, they become efficient conductors of electricity, because in that state they have mobile charged particles that are the ions.
- Ionic bonds can occur only between metals found in groups I and II of the Periodic Table, and nonmetals in groups VI and VII of the same.
Properties of an Ionic Bond
We have already advanced several of them in previous sections of this article, but to systematize the knowledge, we are going to list their properties and they are the following:
- They are prone to creating brittle-type crystal lattices: if we were to observe it on an atomic scale, an ionic crystal has a regular three-dimensional organization, made up of the intermingling cation and anion.
- They are electrically neutral while in the solid state, so they are not conductive materials.
- They have very high boiling and melting points: this is because the force of attraction between the ions is greater, so more energy is needed to split them.
- They turn into solids when they are at room temperature, because of their high boiling and melting points.
- When they are dissolved in an aqueous medium, they are excellent conductors of electricity, contrary to what happens when they are in a solid state.
examples of ions
In this section of the article we will show you some examples of ions that can be obtained through this process of ionic bond:
Fluorides (F-). They are cathodic salts that are derived from hydrofluoric acid (HF), and are used in the production of toothpastes and other products for dental use.
Sulfates (SO42-). Salts or esters produced from sulfuric acid (H2SO4), which, when joined to a metal, have a number of very dissimilar practical uses, ranging from aggregates for the preparation of construction materials, to inputs for contrast radiography.
Nitrates (NO3-). Salts or esters that are obtained from nitric acid (HNO3), and that are used in the manufacture of gunpowder, when mixed with potassium, and in multiple chemical formulas that are used as fertilizers.
Mercury II (Hg+2). In this case, we are referring to a cation that is obtained from mercury, which is also called mercuric cation and that only achieves stability in a medium that has an acidic pH.
Permanganates (MnO4-). The salts that result from permanganic acid (HMnO4), have a sharp purple color and a formidable oxidizing power, which can be used in the synthesis of saccharin, for the treatment of wastewater, as well as in the preparation of disinfectants.
