ChiralJon
Phosphine molecule
Phosphine (PH3) molecule showing its lone pair containing two electrons (Jmol visualization of NBO 9 (-12.08 eV) and similarly for NLMO 9). Firefly 8.2.0 DFT B3LYP 6-311G(d,p) energy minimum. No imaginary frequencies. It is trigonal pyramidal in shape with C3v point group symmetry. HOMO (A1) = -7.59; LUMO (degenerate pair E) = -0.54 eV. Total energy = -343.1733 Hartrees. The lone pair can donate its electrons in forming a covalent bond with an electrophile. An unoccupied orbital on phosphorous can also accept bonding electrons from a nucleophile.
The apparent presence of phosphine gas in the cloudy atmosphere of Venus was recently detected using the JCMA and ALMA telescopes and one hypothesis (by analogy with Earth) is that it could have come from exta-terrestial lifeform on Venus, the latter as yet unproven with its hostile environment.
Phosphine molecule
Phosphine (PH3) molecule showing its lone pair containing two electrons (Jmol visualization of NBO 9 (-12.08 eV) and similarly for NLMO 9). Firefly 8.2.0 DFT B3LYP 6-311G(d,p) energy minimum. No imaginary frequencies. It is trigonal pyramidal in shape with C3v point group symmetry. HOMO (A1) = -7.59; LUMO (degenerate pair E) = -0.54 eV. Total energy = -343.1733 Hartrees. The lone pair can donate its electrons in forming a covalent bond with an electrophile. An unoccupied orbital on phosphorous can also accept bonding electrons from a nucleophile.
The apparent presence of phosphine gas in the cloudy atmosphere of Venus was recently detected using the JCMA and ALMA telescopes and one hypothesis (by analogy with Earth) is that it could have come from exta-terrestial lifeform on Venus, the latter as yet unproven with its hostile environment.