The Nature of the Ionic Bond

Abstract

A new model to describe interionic binding in diatomic crystals is proposed. With the inclusion of an overlap repulsion of logarithmic form along with charge-charge and van der Waals interaction terms, the model is found to yield improved values for the cohesive energy and other parameters of alkali halide crystals. Unlike previous forms for the interionic binding in an LiF crystal, in which the potential is negative at distances much smaller than the distance of closest approach of Li + and F- ions, the present model tends to infinity in the positive energy region before such distances are approached