Question:- Is NO2 an ionic or covalent bond?
Answer:
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) has covalent bonds.
Nitrogen dioxide is a covalent molecular compound in which a nitrogen atom shares its position with two oxygen atoms. NO2 has a co-ordinate or polar covalent bond between its nitrogen and oxygen only because the nitrogen and oxygen share a pair of electrons and they do not give up their electron completely as in ionic compounds. That’s why in NO2, the central nitrogen atom forms double bonds with each of the oxygen atoms, sharing 2 pairs of electrons with each of the oxygen atoms. This sharing of electrons enables the completion of the number of electrons in the atoms to that of the nearest noble gas. This covalent characteristic of the bonding is manifested in the characteristics of no2 and this includes low melting and boiling points as compared to ionic compounds. Also, the figure of the molecule is bent because the nitrogen atom has one lone electron pair that affects the polarity and reactivity of the molecule.
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