So for context the question preceding this is what bonds form within O2, which I know to be covalent bonds. I am not so sure on the bonds between O2 molecules. My first thought is that the bonds would be Van der Waals interactions but I'm not sure where the interaction would come from because there is nothing to cause a dipole in diatomic oxygen. Am I just overthinking it and there wouldn't be any kind of bonding or interactions formed between O2 molecules?
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1$\begingroup$ chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/134694/… $\endgroup$– MithoronCommented Sep 7, 2022 at 13:26
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3 Answers
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Van der Waals intermolecular forces consist of
- London dispersion force between random and induced dipoles, that applies to oxygen molecules. These are the weakest.
- Debye force between permanent and induced dipoles
- Keesom force between 2 permanent dipoles. These are the strongest.
The induction of dipoles in molecules, bonds or atoms can be caused by an external large scale electrostatic field or by nearby presence of ions, permanent or temporary (random or induced) dipoles.
See also Intermolecular force
For chemistry of low temperatures and high pressures, see tetraoxygen and octaoxygen, with the latter forming a nice brick-like structure:
As the pressure of oxygen at room temperature is increased through 10 gigapascals (1,500,000 psi), it undergoes a dramatic phase transition to a different allotrope. Its volume decreases significantly,and it changes color from sky-blue to deep red.
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London Dispersion Forces will dominate for a non-polar molecule like $\ce{O2}$. Because electrons are constantly in motion, the molecule of $\ce{O2}$ can develop a temporary dipole which is the source of interaction between molecules. This type of force is weak, but with larger molecules with more electrons, this interaction becomes more significant.
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The ground state for the O2 molecule is a triplet diradical; the 2 electrons are in antibonding orbitals with parallel spins. A higher energy singlet state with paired spins also exists. There is evidence that in the liquid phase there are weak molecular bonds between O2 molecules using these unpaired electrons [O4] because liquid O2 absorbs red light; gaseous O2 is completely colorless [not like water, water really is blue]. These unpaired electrons must also be involved in ozone[O3] formation. Solid O2 has at least 6 different phases involving larger O8 molecules. Wikipedia is a good start here, look it up.
