Sunday 24 July 2011

The Unsatisfied Valence

Once upon a time
I was triply bonded
But yet another atom
Still absconded

Should I choose out
Some ammoniacal nitrogen?
Or out of F,
CL, Br, I, a halogen?

But then wary of
Negative inductive effect,
Plain old hydrogen
Did I finally select

I was then introduced
To concentrated KMnO4,
Alas, my poor hydrogen
Was not so hardcore

(H is replaced by OH)

Exposed to sunlight,
I winced as hν,
weakened my bond,
and took my OH too

In my search of an electron,
I'd reached a crazy fever,
Because a free radical
Cannot last forever.

And then I spied a fluorine
(-I effect be damned)
If that there be a fluorine,
Then a fluorine I'll land.