METALLIC BOND

(a) Electron sea/cloud model

n The simplest way of explaining metallic bond is

by assuming that the metallic lattice is composed
of closely packed positive ions surrounded by an
electron sea / cloud.

n This happens when metal atoms lose their

valence electrons, forming metal cations, and
the valence electrons then made up the electron
sea / cloud.
(a) Electron sea/cloud model

n The attractive force between the electron cloud

and the positive ions is called the metallic bond
which hold the crystal together

Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+

Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+

Electron cloud surrounding positive metal

ions, Na+, in the sodium lattice
(a) Electron sea/cloud model

n The strength of the metallic bond is inversely

proportional to the size of the ion and directly
proportional to the number of valence electrons
on the metal atom
n The smaller the size of the cation and/or the
more electrons supplied by the atoms to the
electron cloud,
n the stronger is the attractive force between the
positively charged ion and the electron cloud
n the stronger is the metallic bond formed.
(a) Electron sea/cloud model

n Across the Periodic Table, there is an increase

in the strength of the metallic bond.

n Each Na atom loses one valence electron to

build the electron cloud, forming one Na+ ion

n Mg atom and Al atom that loses 2 and 3

valence electrons, to form Mg2+ and Al3+ ions,
respectively
(a) Electron sea/cloud model

n The more electrons ‘swim’ in the electron sea / cloud,

the stronger is the attractive force between the
electron cloud and the increasingly positively charged
metal ions

n therefore the stronger is the metallic bond produced

n As the strength of the metallic bond increases, the

values of the physical properties such as the melting
point, boiling point and hardness also increase
(b) Band Theory of Metals

n Metals are described as having a luster, good

thermal and electrical conductivity and are very
malleable
n These properties are direct results of the ability
of the atoms to contribute electrons to a
common cloud around the atoms.
n These facts indicate that the bonding in most
metals is both strong and nondirectional.
n The mobile electrons can conduct electricity
and heat. (electron sea)
(b) Band Theory of Metals
n A related model that gives a more detailed view of the
electron energies and motion is the band model, or
sometimes known as the molecular orbital (MO) model
n When two atomic orbitals interact, two widely spaced
molecular orbital energy levels called bonding and
anti-bonding are formed.
.
(b) Band Theory of Metals

When many metal atoms interact, as in a metal crystal

lattice, a large number of resulting molecular orbitals
become more closely spaced and finally form a virtual
continuum of levels, called bands
(b) Band Theory of Metals

n Mg lattice, the number of atoms in even a

small piece of magnesium metal is very large,
on the order of 1020 atoms
n Therefore, the number of molecular orbitals
they form is also very large
n Each Mg atom has 2 valence electrons in the
2s orbitals and the 3p orbitals are empty.
When many of these orbitals interact, two
types of bands can be formed.
(b) Band Theory of Metals

Valence band:
n MO’s Energy levels filled with electrons. In
the case of Mg metal, this band is made up of
the 3s orbitals.

Conduction band:
n Empty MO’s energy levels. For Mg, this
conduction band is formed by the
overlapping of the empty 3p orbitals.
(b) Band Theory of Metals

n Three categories of materials may be easily

understood by the energy gap between the
bonding bands and the antibonding bands.
n If there is a large gap in energy, the material is
called an insulator
n If the gap is finite, but small, then the material
is a semiconductor,
n If there is effectively no gap between the bands,
the materials are called conductors.
(b) Band Theory of Metals

Conduction
band

Conduction

Conduction
band

band
Valence
Valence

band
band
Valence
band

Comparison of the energy gaps between the valence band and

the conduction band in a metal, semiconductor and an
insulator