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Pyramidal Carbocation

A pyramidal carbocation is a special configuration that can be seen in certain types of carbocation. In this article we will learn about pentagonal and hexagonal shapes of carbocation.

In addition to classical and non-classical ions, this ion also belongs to a class of its own. 

These ions each contain a single carbon atom that is positioned so that it is hovering over a polygon with four or five sides, giving the appearance of a pyramid. 

The charge that is carried by the pyramidal ion with four sides will be 1+, whereas the charge that is carried by the pyramid with five sides will be 2+.

In order to have a comprehensive theoretical discussion, it is necessary to employ all of the orbitals of all of the contributing atoms. 

As a first estimate, you may use an LCAO to calculate the molecular orbitals in the polygon  that forms the base of the pyramid and the orbitals on the apical atom, which represents the carbon atom at the top of the pyramid.  An understanding of the structures’ fundamental steadiness can be gained with the use of this approximation.

Interaction 

It is necessary to satisfy both of the following conditions in order to obtain bonding connections between atoms or sections of molecules:

It is important that the orbitals to be combined have the same symmetry.

The combining orbitals will create a bigger stabilising impact when there is a smaller difference in energy between them.

Both the orbitals surrounding the apical carbon and those surrounding the basic polygon are compatible with one another in terms of their respective symmetries. 

The arrangement of the pyramids will end up being more robust as a consequence of this.

When combined with the lowest MO of the basic ring, the apical sp orbital produces an orbital with a low bonding energy and a strong anti-bonding energy.

The two p orbitals at the ring’s apex mix with the energy level that is the second lowest in the basic ring.

 The end outcome is two orbitals that are bonding and two orbitals that are anti-bonding.

Pentagonal pyramidal Geometry

In chemistry, the shape of compounds is described by a concept known as pentagonal pyramidal molecular geometry. 

This geometry refers to the way in which six atoms, groups of atoms,

 or ligands are grouped around a central atom, which is located at the vertices of a pentagonal pyramid. 

It has an unequal bond angle distribution, making it one of the very few possible molecular geometries.

Examples:–    XeOF5  

Characteristics of a Pyramid with a Pentagonal Shape

A pentagonal pyramid possesses all of the characteristics that are typical of a pyramid, in addition to additional characteristics that are unique to its pentagonal base. 

Therefore, the following are some of the characteristics of a pentagonal pyramid:

A normal pentagonal pyramid has 6 faces (5 equilateral triangles as the lateral sides and a regular pentagon base).

A pentagonal pyramid has ten sides and six vertices, making it a regular pyramid shape.

In any pentagonal pyramid, there are a total of six faces to the pyramid.

A pentagonal pyramid can also feature isosceles triangles as its lateral sides.

The formula for calculating the volume of a pentagonal pyramid is: abh

Where,

The apothem length of the pentagonal pyramid is denoted by the letter a.

b represents the length of the base. The height of the pentagonal pyramid is denoted by the letter h. 

Hexagonal pyramidal carbocation

If a pyramid has a hexagonal basis, which is defined as a base with six sides and six triangular lateral faces, then the pyramid in question is referred to as a hexagonal pyramid.

The heptahedron is another name for this shape.

Conclusion

Carbocations are carbon atoms that are part of an organic molecule and have a positive formal charge as a result of their presence in the molecule. As a consequence of this property, we refer to them as carbon cations. According to the definition provided by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, carbocations are species that contain even numbers of electrons.  As a consequence, radical cations like CH4+, which are frequently observed through the use of mass spectrometry, are not considered to be carbocations.

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