A mechanistic spectrum of chemical reactions.

The mechanism of chemical reactions between electron donors and acceptors continuously changes with the power of the donors and the acceptors. The interaction between the HOMO (d) of the donors and the LUMO (a*) of the acceptors or delocalization of electrons is important for the reactions. The electron d-to-a* transferred configuration mixes to a significant extent. As the donors and/or the acceptors are strong, their excited configurations appreciably mixes together with the transferred configuration. The d-a and d*-a* orbital interactions are important in addition to the d-a* interaction. Reactions have features characteristic of the excited-state reactions although the donor-acceptor system is not really excited, but in the ground state. This process is termed pseudoexcitation. The a-d-a*-d* interaction is important. For much stronger donors and acceptors, the electron transferred configuration is stable and predominant. Covalent bonds do not form but instead ionic pairs, and electron transfer results. A mechanistic spectrum of chemical reactions is composed of the delocalization, pseudoexcitation, and electron transfer bands.