From Atomic Orbitals to Molecular Orbitals and Chemical Bonds

It is shown how an aufbau principle for atoms arises from the Hartree-Fock (HF) treatment with increasing numbers of electrons. The Slater screening rules are introduced. The HF equations for general molecules are not separable in the spatial variables. This requires another approximation, such as the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) molecular orbital method. The orbitals of molecules are represented in a basis set of known functions, for example atomic orbital (AO)-like functions or plane waves. The HF equation then becomes a generalized matrix pseudo-eigenvalue problem. Solutions are obtained for the hydrogen molecule ion and H2 with a minimal AO basis. The Slater rule for 1s shells is rationalized via the optimal exponent in a minimal 1s basis. The nature of the chemical bond, and specifically the role of the kinetic energy in covalent bonding, are discussed in details with the example of the hydrogen molecule ion.