Bond Order and Chemical Properties of BF , CO , and N 2

S are introduced to N2 and CO in general chemistry, and their prominence continues in inorganic chemistry 3 and physical chemistry. However, their isoelectronic relative, BF, is much less considered. Together, this trio of diatomic molecules comprises a series that superbly exemplifies numerous bonding and chemical trends. The changes in bonding lead to three molecules that behave very differently, especially as ligands, with BF appearing only recently in the chemical literature as a bridging ligand. 7 In this work, this series of molecules is used to compare the predictions of various chemical models, including Lewis bonding concepts, simple molecular orbital theory, and computational methods. We then relate the predictions of these models to ligand behavior.