 | Atomic orbitals represent the statistical likelihood that electrons will occupy various points in space. Except for the innermost electrons of the atoms, the shapes of the orbitals are nonspherical. Electrons can have elliptical orbits around the nucleus. Until recently, we have only been able to image the existance and shape of these orbitals because no experimental verifications were available. Recently, scientists have been able to create a 3-D image of these orbitals using a combination of x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy techniques. The chapter-opening image shows the orbital of d state electrons of the copper-oxygen bond in Cu2O. Through an understanding of the bonding in copper oxides, using the techniques just described, researchers edge closer to explaining the nature of high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides.1 1www.aip.org/physnews/graphics/html/orbital.html |