Natural Orbitals For Chemical Valence Research Articles

Charge-Displacement Analysis via Natural Orbitals for Chemical Valence in the Four-Component Relativistic Framework.

We have recently introduced a simple yet powerful tool for analyzing quantitatively the coordination bond in terms of the donation and back-donation constituents of the Dewar-Chatt-Duncanson model. Our approach is based on the decomposition, via natural orbitals for chemical valence (NOCV), of the so-called charge-displacement (CD) function into additive chemically meaningful components (Bistoni et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2015, 142, 084112 ). The method, referred to as NOCV/CD, provides clear-cut measures of donation and back-donation charge flows following bond formation, and its robustness has been demonstrated by a tight correlation of the related charge-transfer estimates with experimental observables. In this paper we extend the NOCV/CD analysis scheme to the four-component relativistic framework, which includes spin-orbit coupling variationally. This formalism is incorporated into a recently developed, highly efficient parallel version of the relativistic Dirac-Kohn-Sham (DKS) program BERTHA (Rampino et al. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2014, 10, 3766-3776 ). We test the accuracy and numerical stability of this new implementation through the analysis of the convergence properties of the basis sets employed to expand the DKS spinor solution and those used to linearize the electronic density in the density-fitting algorithm speeding up the evaluation of the DKS matrix. An illustration of NOCV/CD analysis in the relativistic framework is also given through a study of the metal-carbonyl coordination bond in a series of [M-CO]+ (M = Cu, Ag, Au) complexes of group 11 metals, where relativistic effects, including spin-orbit coupling, are found to play an important role.

The role of Cr, Mo and W in the electronic delocalization and the metal–ring interaction in metallocene complexes

Metal influence over triple-decker, sandwich-like and pyramidal structured benzenes was studied by means of energy decomposition analysis (Morokuma–Ziegler), combined with extended transition state natural orbitals for chemical valence, and Nucleus Independent Chemical Shift descriptors.

ETS-NOCV decomposition of the reaction force for double-proton transfer in formamide-derived systems

The analysis of the electronic-structure changes along IRC paths for double-proton-transfer reactions in the formamide dimer (R1), formamide–thioformamide system (R2), and the thioformamide dimer (R3) was performed based on the extended-transition-state natural orbitals for chemical valence (ETS-NOCV) partitioning of the reaction force, considering the intra-fragments strain and the inter-fragments interaction terms, and further—the electrostatic, Pauli-repulsion and orbital interaction components, with the latter being decomposed into the NOCV components. Two methods of the system partitioning into the fragments were considered (‘reactant perspective’/bond-formation, ‘product perspective’ / bond-breaking). In agreement with previous studies, the results indicate that the major changes in the electronic structure occur in the transition state region; the bond-breaking processes are, however, initiated already in the reactant region, prior to entering the TS region. The electrostatic contributions were identified as the main factor responsible for the increase in the activation barrier in the order R1 < R2 < R3.

Electronic structure and bonding of the dinuclear metal M2(CO)10 decacarbonyls: applications of natural orbitals for chemical valence.

The nature of the chemical metal-metal bond in M2(CO)10 (M = Mn, Re, Tc) dinuclear decacarbonyls complexes was investigated for the first time using the natural orbital chemical valence (NOCV) approach combined with the extended transition state (ETS) for energy decomposition analysis (EDA). The optimized geometries carried out at different levels of theory BP86, BLYP, BLYPD and BP86D, showed that the latter method, i.e., BP86D, led to the best agreement with X-ray experimental measurements. The BP86D/TZP results revealed that the computed covalent contribution to the metal-metal bond are 60.5%, 54.1% and 52.0% for Mn-Mn, Re-Re and Tc-Tc, respectively. The computed total interaction energies resulting from attractive terms (ΔE orb and ΔE eles), correspond well to experimental predictions, based on bond lengths and energy interaction analysis for the studied complexes.

Energy decomposition analysis

The energy decomposition analysis (EDA) is a powerful method for a quantitative interpretation of chemical bonds in terms of three major components. The instantaneous interaction energy ΔEintbetween two fragments A and B in a molecule A–B is partitioned in three terms, namely (1) the quasiclassical electrostatic interaction ΔEelstatbetween the fragments; (2) the repulsive exchange (Pauli) interaction ΔEPaulibetween electrons of the two fragments having the same spin, and (3) the orbital (covalent) interaction ΔEorbwhich comes from the orbital relaxation and the orbital mixing between the fragments. The latter term can be decomposed into contributions of orbitals with different symmetry which makes it possible to distinguish between σ, π, and δ bonding. After a short introduction into the theoretical background of the EDA we present illustrative examples of main group and transition metal chemistry. The results show that the EDA terms can be interpreted in chemically meaningful way thus providing a bridge between quantum chemical calculations and heuristic bonding models of traditional chemistry. The extension to the EDA–Natural Orbitals for Chemical Valence (NOCV) method makes it possible to breakdown the orbital term ΔEorbinto pairwise orbital contributions of the interacting fragments. The method provides a bridge between MO correlations diagrams and pairwise orbital interactions, which have been shown in the past to correlate with the structures and reactivities of molecules. There is a link between frontier orbital theory and orbital symmetry rules and the quantitative charge‐ and energy partitioning scheme that is provided by the EDA–NOCV terms. The strength of the pairwise orbital interactions can quantitatively be estimated and the associated change in the electronic structure can be visualized by plotting the deformation densities.This article is categorized under:Structure and Mechanism &gt; Molecular StructuresElectronic Structure Theory &gt; Density Functional TheoryComputer and Information Science &gt; Visualization

Is the R3 Si Moiety in Metal-Silyl Complexes a Z ligand? An Answer from the Interaction Energy.

The computation of metal-silyl interaction energies indicates the existence of situations in which the silyl group behaves as a Z-type ligand according to the Green method of covalent-bond classification. There is a scale of relative intrinsic silylicity Π, defined as the ratio of the intrinsic silyl-to-triflate interaction energy of a silyltriflate as a reference compound relative to the silyl-to-metal interaction of given complex, that can reveal in a straightforward manner the propensity of SiR3 groups to behave chemically as metal-bound "silylium" ions, namely, [SiR3 ]+ . Emblematic cases, either taken from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) or constructed for the purpose of this study, were also investigated from the viewpoints of extended transition-state natural orbitals for chemical valence (ETS-NOCV) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses. It is shown in the case of POBMUP-which is the iridium 1,3-bis[(di-tert-butylphosphino)oxy]benzene (POCOP) complex isolated by Brookhart et al.-how slight variations of molecular charge and structure can drastically affect the relative intrinsic silylicity of the SiEt3 group that is weakly bonded to the hydrido-iridium motif.

The trans Effect in Palladium Phosphine Sulfonate Complexes.

Palladium phosphine sulfonate complexes constitute an efficient family of catalysts for both homopolymerization of ethylene and copolymerization of ethylene with a number of polar monomers. Their catalytic mechanisms have been extensively studied but not fully understood at the electronic structure level. The energy decomposition analysis, complemented with the inspection of the natural orbitals for chemical valence, reveals that their catalytic activity can be rationalized in terms of the so-called trans effect. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the competition for the σ donation of the two ligands PMe3 and L, of the palladium phosphine sulfonate complexes, to the same orbital of Pd in the trans isomer and to different orbitals in the cis isomer is the origin of the trans effect. Although the dominance of the phosphine group prevents an efficient interaction of the ligand L with the Pd atom, the large stabilization gained by the phosphine group renders a very stable trans complex.

Modulating the Bonding Properties of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes (NHCs): A Systematic Charge-Displacement Analysis.

In view of their intensive use as ligands in many reactions catalyzed by transition-metal complexes, modulation of the bonding properties of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) on a rational basis is highly desirable, which should enable optimization of current applications or even promote new functions. In this paper, we provide a quantitative analysis of the chemical bond between a metal fragment AuCl and a series of 29 different NHCs in [(NHC)AuCl] complexes. NHCs electronic properties are modified through: i) variation of the groups attached to the NHC nitrogen atoms or backbone; ii) change of unsaturation/size of the NHC ring; iii) inclusion of paracyclophane moieties; or iv) heteroatom substitution on the NHC ring. For evaluating the donation and back-donation components of the Dewar-Chatt-Duncanson (DCD) model in the NHC-AuCl bond, we apply the charge-displacement (CD) analysis within the NOCV (natural orbitals for chemical valence) framework, a methodology that avoids the constraint of using symmetrized structures. We show that modulation of the NHC bonding properties requires substantial modification of their structure, such as, for instance, insertion of two ketone groups into the NHC backbone (which enhances the π back-donation bond component and introduces an effective electronic communication within the NHC ring) or replacement of a nitrogen atom in the ring with an sp3 or sp2 carbon atom (which increases and decreases the π back-donation bond component, respectively). We extend our investigation by quantitatively comparing the NHC electronic structures for a subset of 13 NHCs in [(NHC)PPh] adducts, the 31 P NMR chemical shift values of which are experimentally available. The latter have been considered as a suitable tool for measuring the NHCs π acceptor properties [Bertrand et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 2939-2943]. We show that information obtained using the metal fragment can be transferred to the PPh moiety and vice versa. However, the 31 P NMR chemical shift values only qualitatively correlate with the π acceptor properties of the NHCs, with the stronger π acidic carbenes as the most outliners.

Theoretical insights into the nature of PtSn bond: Reevaluating the bonding/back-bonding properties of trichlorostannate with comparison to the cyano ligand.

The coordinating properties of the trichlorostannate ligand in hydrido platinum trichlorostannato and platinum bis-trichlorostannato complexes, containing various phosphine ligands, have been elucidated by means of charge decomposition analysis, the Ziegler-Rauk Energy Decomposition with the Natural Orbitals for Chemical Valence, Domain-Averaged Fermi Hole, and natural bond orbital methods. Trichlorostannate has been found to be a strong σ-donor and a weak π-acceptor ligand with coordination properties not far from those of the cyano ligand. For back-bonding, the tin-chlorine σ∗ orbitals are mostly responsible. In contrast to previous assumptions, the 5d orbitals of tin play no role at all in the interaction with the platinum center. QTAIM calculations suggest, that the platinum-tin interaction should be interpreted as donor-acceptor, rather than covalent type. Trichlorostannate has been found to have weaker trans influence in comparison to the cyano ligand. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Binding of Small Gas Molecules by Metal-Bipyridyl Monocationic Complexes (Metal = Cu, Ag, Au) and Possible Bond Activations Therein.

The viability of a series of small gas molecules (H2, N2, CO, CO2, H2O, H2S, C2H2, CH4, CH3Cl, C2H4, and C2H6) bound [M-(bipy)]+ (bipy = bipyridyl; M = Cu, Ag, Au) complexes is investigated at the PBE0/cc-pVTZ/cc-pVTZ-PP level with a special emphasis on the possible bond activation within the bound ligands. While the bond dissociation energy, enthalpy change, and free energy change are computed to show the stability of the complexes with respect to the dissociation into [M-(bipy)]+ and free gas molecule (L), natural bond orbital, electron density, and energy decomposition analyses in conjunction with natural orbitals for chemical valence are carried out to characterize the nature of L-M bonds. For a given L, the L binding ability is the highest for Au followed by Cu and Ag complexes, except for quite loosely bound CO2. For all ligand cases, the dissociation processes from the respective bound complexes are endergonic in nature at room temperature, except for the H2-, CH4-, and C2H6-bound Ag complexes and CO2-bound Ag and Au complexes. The interaction between L and M centers is supported by orbital and ionic interactions with latter being more dominant over the former. The delocalization index and local energy density values support the covalent character in L-M bonds in most of the cases. These M centers can act as a mild bond activation agent for L, Au being the best candidate in this series for this purpose. Particularly, the H-H bond in H2, C═C bond in C2H4, C≡C bond in C2H2, and C-H bonds in CH4 and C2H6 (the last two are for Au) are elongated along with a significant red-shift in the corresponding stretching frequency, compared to those in free molecules. These can be explained by the significant π-back-donation populating the lowest unoccupied antibonding molecular orbital of L in these complexes.

Synthesis, structure and DFT study of asymmetrical NHC complexes of cymantrene derivatives and their application in the dehydrogenative dimerization reaction of thiols

Asymmetrical NHC complexes of cymantrene and methylcymantrene have been synthesised through the photochemical substitution of carbonyl ligands in the presence of the imidazol-2-ylidene salts. The carbene substituents have been varied between compact (L1) and bulky (L2 and L3) substituents to produce an array of differently sized carbene ligands. The solid state crystal structures of three of the complexes confirmed the bonding pattern of the ligand towards available metal centres and an in-depth DFT study provided insight into electronic and steric aspects. Application of the Extended Transition State coupled with Natural Orbitals for Chemical Valence (ETS-NOCV) energy decomposition technique indicated various NOCV channels for each Mn–L bond (L = 3-ethyl-1-methylimidazolylidene carbene, triphenylphosphine or acetonitrile), describing the density and energy changes of specific (σ and π) attributes of each bond. N-heterocyclic carbenes of cymantrene derivatives and their triphenylphosphine-substituted analogue are equivalent σ-donors, with 53% and 56%, respectively, of the total binding energy originating from σ-donation. However, NHC complexes show considerably less π character in the metal-carbene bond. Hydrogen interactions in the NHC complexes were also identified in the ETS-NOCV calculations and provided quantification of the hydrogen interactions witnessed in the solid state structures. Calculated Wiberg bond indices, bond dissociation enthalpies, percentage buried volumes and percentage sigma and pi-bonding characteristics quantified the bonding and electronic aspects of the ligand-metal interactions within the complex.

Exploring Ultrashort Hydrogen-Hydrogen Nonbonded Contacts in Constrained Molecular Cavities.

Confined molecular chambers such as macrocycle bridged E1-H···H-E2 (E1(E2) = Si(Si), 1) exhibit rare ultrashort H···H nonbonded contacts (d(H···H) = 1.56 Å). In this article, on the basis of density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we propose new molecular motifs where d(H···H) can be reduced to 1.44 Å (E1(E2) = Si(Ge), 3). Further tuning the structure of the macrocycle by replacing the bulky phenyl groups by ethylenic spacers and substitution of the H-atoms by -CN groups makes the cavity more compact and furnishes even shorter d(H···H) = 1.38 Å (E1(E2) = Ge(Ge), 8). These unusually close H···H nonbonded contacts originate from the strong attractive noncovalent interactions between them, which are evident from various computational indicators, namely, NCI, Wiberg bond index, relaxed force constant, quantum theory of atoms in molecules, and natural orbitals for chemical valence combined with the extended transition state method analyses. Substantial stabilization of the in,in-configuration (exhibiting short H···H contacts) compared with the out,out-configuration (by ∼5.7 kcal/mol) and statistically insignificant fluctuations in ⟨d(H···H)⟩ and ⟨θav⟩(θ(E1(E2)-H···H = 152°) at room temperature confirm that the ultrashort H···H distances in these molecules are thermodynamically stable and would be persistent under ambient experimental conditions.

On the Stability of Cis- and Trans-2-Butene Isomers. An Insight Based on the FAMSEC, IQA, and ETS-NOCV Schemes.

In the present account, the real space fragment attributed molecular system energy change (FAMSEC) approach, interacting quantum atoms energy decomposition scheme as well as molecular orbitals based the extended transition state scheme coupled with natural orbitals for chemical valence (ETS-NOCV) have been, for the first time, successfully used to delineate factors of importance for stability of the 2-butene conformers (cis-eq, cis-TS, trans-eq, trans-TS). Our results demonstrate that atoms of the controversial H-H contact in cis-eq (i) are involved in attractive interaction dominated by the exchange-correlation term, (ii) are weekly stabilized, (iii) show trends in several descriptors found in other typical H-bonds, and (iv) are part of most stabilized CH-HC fragment (loc-FAMSEC = -3.6 kcal/mol) with most favourably changed intrafragment interactions on trans-eq→cis-eq. Moreover, lower stability of cis-eq vs. trans-eq is linked with the entire HCCH (ethylenic) fragment which destabilized cis-eq (mol-FAMSEC, +3.9 kcal/mol) the most. Although the H-H contact can be linked with smaller, relative to trans-, rotational energy barrier in cis-2-butene, we have proven that to rationalize this phenomenon one must account for changes in interactions between various fragments that constitute the entire molecule. Importantly, we discovered a number of comparable trends in fundamental properties of equivalent molecular fragments on a methyl group rotation; for example, interaction between BP-free H-atoms in trans-eq (involving CH bonds of the methyl and ethylenic units) and BP-linked H-atoms in cis-eq. Clearly, rotational energy barrier cannot be entirely (i) rationalized by the properties of or (ii) attributed to the H-H contact in cis-eq. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A theoretical analysis of substituent electronic effects on phosphine-borane bonds.

Phosphine-borane adducts are a well-known moiety in synthetic and coordination chemistry. These complexes form a dative bond in which the Lewis basic phosphorus atom donates electron density into an empty p-orbital of the Lewis acidic boron atom. However, donation of the phosphorus lone pair is not the only stabilizing interaction, as hyperconjugation and electrostatic interaction also play important roles in bonding. This paper describes a detailed density functional theory level (B3LYP) study completed to determine the impact electron-donating and withdrawing substituents have on phosphine-borane bonds through the investigation of a series of para-substituted PAr3-BH3 and PH3-BAr3 phosphine-borane adducts. Natural bond orbital (NBO) partitioning was used to calculate the distribution of electron density between the phosphine and borane fragments. Extended transition state and natural orbitals for chemical valence (ETS-NOCV) analysis was used to isolate contributions to the overall electronic interaction of the phosphine-borane adducts. Molecular orbital composition and charge donation was calculated using AOMix. The resulting data was correlated with Hammett σ constants.

Evaluation of Electron Donation as a Mechanism for the Stabilisation of Chalcogenate‐Protected Gold Nanoclusters

Models based on Au(111) face have been extensively used to describe self-assembled monolayers, as well nanoparticles and nanoclusters. However, for very small clusters (<2 nm), the chemisorption of ligands leads to surface reconstruction, making necessary the use of a more reliable model that is able to simulate the main electronic and geometrical features of these small systems. In this work, a simple model to describe the geometries and the metal-ligand bonding in chalcogenate-protected gold nanoclusters is proposed. Three different models with Aun+ and [XCH3 ]- (n=10, 15, 19, 22 and X=S, Se, Te) are used in this work. The obtained structures are in close agreement not only with the available crystallographic data, but also with much more expensive computational procedures, confirming that the proposed models are robust enough to describe the metal-ligand bonding. The results reveal that the Au-X distances are dependent on both the nature of the chalcogen and the coordination mode. The shortest Au-X distances are observed in the face-centred cubic mode, indicating that the central gold atom seems to play a role in determining the adsorption strength. The proposed models show unambiguously chalcogen→cluster σ-donation, as supported by energy decomposition analysis coupled with the natural orbitals for chemical valence and natural bond orbital analyses. In all cases, the metal-ligand interactions are characterised as being more covalent than electrostatic.

Lewis Acids as Activators in CBS-Catalysed Diels-Alder Reactions: Distortion Induced Lewis Acidity Enhancement of SnCl4.

The effect of several Lewis acids on the CBS catalyst (named after Corey, Bakshi and Shibata) was investigated in this study. While (2) H NMR spectroscopic measurements served as gauge for the activation capability of the Lewis acids, in situ FT-IR spectroscopy was employed to assess the catalytic activity of the Lewis acid oxazaborolidine complexes. A correlation was found between the Δδ((2) H) values and rate constants kDA , which indicates a direct translation of Lewis acidity into reactivity of the Lewis acid-CBS complexes. Unexpectedly, a significant deviation was found for SnCl4 as Lewis acid. The SnCl4 -CBS adduct was much more reactive than the Δδ((2) H) values predicted and gave similar reaction rates to those observed for the prominent AlBr3 -CBS adduct. To rationalize these results, quantum mechanical calculations were performed. The frontier molecular orbital approach was applied and a good correlation between the LUMO energies of the Lewis acid-CBS-naphthoquinone adducts and kDA could be found. For the SnCl4 -CBS-naphthoquinone adduct an unusual distortion was observed leading to an enhanced Lewis acidity. Energy decomposition analysis with natural orbitals for chemical valence (EDA-NOCV) calculations revealed the relevant interactions and activation mode of SnCl4 as Lewis acid in Diels-Alder reactions.

A Quantitative Description of the σ‐Donor and π‐Acceptor Properties of Substituted Phenanthrolines

The bond between molybdenum and substituted 1,10‐phenanthroline ligands in a series of [Mo(CO)4(phen*)] complexes has been studied by combining experimental data (νCO) with DFT calculations. First, natural orbitals for chemical valence (NOCV) were calculated: The resulting charge‐transfer magnitudes (Δqi) associated with the deformation density channels (Δϱi) were related to σ‐donation and π‐back‐donation. Then, energy decomposition analysis was performed by applying the extended transition state (ETS) scheme. The outcomes of the ETS‐NOCV approach has allowed us to quantify the energetic contribution of both ligand‐to‐metal (Eσ) and metal‐to‐ligand (Eπ) interactions. A new parameter (Tphen) has been introduced comprising both Eσ and Eπ and thus providing a descriptor for the overall electronic contribution given by phenanthrolines to the metal–ligand bond. This was corroborated by the linear correlation found between Tphen and the νCO vibration modes of [Mo(CO)4(phen*)] complexes, at least for those containing a 2,9‐unsubstituted phenanthroline. The case of [Mo(CO)4(phen*)] derivatives with a 2,9‐substituted phen* is also discussed.

Advances in Charge Displacement Analysis.

We define new general density-based descriptors for the quantification of charge transfer and polarization effects associated with the interaction between two fragments and the formation of a chemical bond. Our aim is to provide a simple yet accurate picture of a chemical interaction by condensing the information on the charge rearrangement accompanying it into a few chemically meaningful parameters. These charge displacement (CD) parameters quantify the total charge displaced upon bond formation and decompose it into a charge transfer component between the fragments and charge rearrangements taking place within the fragments. We then show how the new parameters can be easily calculated using the well-known CD function, which describes the charge flow along a chosen axis accompanying the formation of a bond. The approach presented here can be useful in a wide variety of contexts, ranging from weak interactions to electronic excitations to coordination chemistry. In particular, we discuss here how the scheme can be used for the characterization of the donation and back-donation components of metal-ligand bonds, in combination with the natural orbitals for chemical valence (NOCV) theory. In doing so, we discuss the interesting relationship between the proposed parameters and the corresponding NOCV eigenvalues, commonly used as a measure of the electron charge displacement associated with a given bonding contribution. As a prototype case study, we investigate the bond between a N-heterocyclic carbene and different metallic fragments. Finally, we show that our approach can be used in combination with the energy decomposition of the extended transition state method, providing an estimate of both charge transfer and polarization contributions to the interaction energy.

A Comparison of Donor-acceptor Interactions in Borane Complexes of Divalent Tetrylenes(II) and Divalent Tetrylones(0) using Energy Decomposition Analysis Method with Natural Orbital for Chemical Valence Theory

A scheme for chemical bond analysis by combining the energy decomposition analysis (EDA) method with natural orbitals for chemical valence (NOCV) theory has been investigated. Quantum chemical calculations at the BP86/TZ2P+ level of theory are performed for a comparison of chemical bond analysis between tetrylones [BH3-{E(PH3)2}] (B3-EP2) and tetrylenes [(BH3-{NHEMe}] (B3-NHE) (E = C to Pb). The EDA-NOCV results suggest that the B–E bond dissociation energies (BDEs) in tetrylones and tetrylenes decrease from the slighter to the heavier homologs. The decrease in the bond strengths from the lighter to the heavier homologs of B3-EP2 comes mainly from the decrease in the electrostatic attractions ΔEelstat and the orbital interactions ΔEorb, while the decrease in the bond strength from carbene B3-NHC to plumbylene B3-NHPb strongly correlates with the decrease in electrostatic term ΔEelstat.

Ammonia-modified Co(II) sites in zeolites: spin and electron density redistribution through the Co(II)-NO bond.

Electronic factors essential for the bonding of a non-innocent NO ligand to ammonia-modified Co(2+) sites in cobalt-exchanged zeolites are examined for small cluster models using DFT and advanced correlated wave function calculations. The analysis of charge transfer processes between the NO ligand and the cobalt center involves two protocols: valence-bond expansion of the multiconfiguration CASSCF wave function (in terms of fragment-localized active orbitals) and spin-resolved natural orbitals for chemical valence (SR-NOCV). Applicability of SR-NOCV analysis to transition metal complexes involving non-innocent fragments is critically assessed and the approach based on the CASSCF wave function turns out to be much more robust and systematic for all studied models. It is shown that the character and direction of electron density redistribution through the Co-N-O bond, quantified by relative share of the Co(II)-NO(0), Co(III)-NO(-), and Co(I)-NO(+) resonance structures in the total wave function, fully rationalize the activation of the N-O bond upon NH3 co-ligation (evidenced by calculated and measured red-shift of the NO stretching frequency and commonly ascribed to enhanced backdonation). The huge red-shift of νN-O is attributed to an effective electron transfer between the ammonia-modified Co(ii) centers and the NO antibonding π*-orbitals (related to the increased share of the Co(III)-NO(-) form). Unexpectedly, the effect is stronger for the singlet complex with three NH3 ligands than for that with five NH3 ligands bound to the cobalt center. Our results also indicate that high-efficiency electron transfers between the Co(ii) center and the NO ligand may be enabled for the selected spin state and disabled for the other spin state of the adduct. This illustrates how the cobalt center may serve to fine-tune the electronic communication between the NO ligand and its binding site.