What is the Lewis structure of carbon monoxide?

1 Answer
Nov 7, 2015

#""^((-)):C-=O:^((+))#, else #:C=ddotO:#

Explanation:

10 valence electrons, and 2 reasonable Lewis structures; the trebly bound mesomer on the left has a formal charge separation. For myself, I prefer the left hand side depiction in that it would predict that carbon monoxide would bind to metals through the carbon, rather than through the oxygen atom.

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