Abstract
The bonding in yellow PbO, which exists in infinite zig-zag chains along the a-axis of the unit cell, is analysed and the following scheme is proposed. The oxygen electrons are used to form the PbO chain and to hold these chains together in layers perpendicular to the c-axis of the unit cell. To do this, oxygen is hybridised either completely sp 3, or sp 2 in the chain bonds and sp 2 ± p in the interchain intralayer bonds. In the chain, lead uses two 6p atomic orbitals to form bonds with two of the oxygen hybrid orbitals, and binds the chains together by 6d z 2 ± 6p z hybrid orbitals which overlap with the remaining two oxygen hybrid orbitals. Interlayer bonding is van der Waals bonding between the filled 6s orbitals on adjacent lead atoms. The peculiar geometry in the crystal structure of yellow PbO is accounted for successfully. The bonding model is consistent with the lake character and the extremely low conductivity observed for yellow PbO.
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