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Dative Covalent Bonds

A dative covalent bond or a co-ordinate bond is a covalent bond in which the shared pair of electrons has been supplied by only one of the bonding atoms.

The shared pair of electrons is supplied by a lone pair on one atom.
The ammonium ion is formed when the lone pair on the nitrogen atom in NH3 is donated to a hydrogen ion H+ with an empty orbital.
Although shown with an arrow → all four bonds are equivalent and it is not possible to tell the difference.

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Specification: OCR Chemistry A (H032), AS-level, 2.2.2 Bonding and structure. Topic: Electrons and Bonding.

Key terms in this lesson

Ion
A positively or negatively charged atom or group of atoms, formed by the loss or gain of electrons.
Atomic orbital
A region in space where there is a high probability (90-95%) of finding an electron.
Covalent bond
A strong electrostatic attraction between a shared pair of electrons and the nuclei of the bonded atoms.
Lone pair
A pair of outer-shell electrons that is not involved in bonding.

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All 7 lessons in Electrons and Bonding · All OCR AS-level Chemistry topics