An Introduction to the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules

The observation that some properties attributed to atoms and functional groups are transferable from one molecule to another has played a key role in the development of chemistry. This observation provides a basis for group additivity schemes and is exemplified by the constancy of group contributions to thermodynamic and spectroscopic properties. But what is the electronic basis of this empirical transferability? The quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) [1], developed by Professor Richard F. W. Bader and his coworkers, relies on quantum observables such as the electron density rðrÞ and energy densities to answer such a question. Other important (related) questions addressed by QTAIM include: What is an atom in a molecule or a crystal? How can an atom or a group of atoms be transferable sometimes in very different external potentials? Can one define bonding in molecules unambiguously especially in borderline cases?