A pair of electrons occupying an orbital in an atom or molecule and not directly involved in bonding.
〔化〕孤对电子
Example sentencesExamples
The oxygen atom of an ether functional group has two lone pairs of electrons.
Identifying types of bonds and lone pairs of electrons is as critical to accurately predicting the shape of a molecule as is determining the number of bonds.
Molecules that contain lone pairs of electrons (like ammonia or water) can use these to bond with metal atoms capable of receiving them.
A very useful method for understanding and predicting molecular shapes that relies upon the role of the lone pair is called the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion theory.
The molecular geometry around an atom depends upon the number of bonds to other atoms and the presence or absence of lone pairs of electrons associated with the atom.