Monday, January 20, 2020

bond - Why is nitrogen dioxide (NO2) brown?



I don't understand why nitrogen dioxide NOX2 is coloured brown when nitrate NOX2X and dinitrogen tetroxide NX2OX4 are not. I understand it is due to absorption of light when its frequency matches the energy of an electronic transition. But what makes NOX2 special, i.e. what electronic transition gives rise to the brown color in NOX2, and why do NOX2X and NX2OX4 lack these transitions? Is there are way to explain this difference using molecular orbital theory?




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