--- title: "MO diagram: carbon monoxide Template | MolDraw" url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-mo-co/ description: "MO diagram: carbon monoxide template: Valence MO diagram of CO (isoelectronic with N₂): O orbitals lower than C, 3σ, 4σ, 1π, 5σ HOMO on carbon, 2π* LUMO…" lang: en publisher: Scidart Academy generated: 2026-10-28 --- [MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [Templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) › [General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/general-and-inorganic/) › MO diagram: carbon monoxide [General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/general-and-inorganic/)Premium # MO diagram: carbon monoxide template ![MO diagram: carbon monoxide template: Valence MO diagram of CO (isoelectronic with N₂): O orbitals lower than C, 3σ, 4σ, 1π, 5σ HOMO on carbon, 2π* LUMO, bond order 3.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-mo-co.webp) [Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)Download with Pro Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of [MolDraw Pro](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing). Valence MO diagram of CO (isoelectronic with N₂): O orbitals lower than C, 3σ, 4σ, 1π, 5σ HOMO on carbon, 2π* LUMO, bond order 3. ## What the template shows - A heteronuclear diatomic: unequal atomic orbital energies give polarised molecular orbitals - Carbon monoxide - O 2s and 2p lie below C 2s and 2p, so bonding MOs are mostly O and antibonding MOs mostly C. MOs numbered with the 1σ, 2σ core - Bond order = ½ (8 − 2) = 3 - diamagnetic (all electrons paired) - CO has 10 valence electrons, like N₂; counted the same way the bond order is 3. - The HOMO (5σ) is largely a carbon lone pair, so CO binds metals through carbon (σ donation). - The empty 2π* (LUMO), larger on carbon, takes electron density back from filled metal d orbitals (π back-bonding), as in Ni(CO)₄. - Photoelectron spectrum: ionisation from 5σ at 14.0 eV, 1π at 16.9 eV and 4σ at 19.7 eV (5σ above 1π). - Energies are schematic: O 2s and 2p lie lower than C 2s and 2p because O is more electronegative. - Every part of this figure is editable · sources on the template card Drawn with 228 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw. ## Sources - [Miessler, Fischer & Tarr, Inorganic Chemistry, 5th ed., Pearson 2014, ch. 5](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780321811059) Textbook - [NIST Chemistry WebBook: carbon monoxide](https://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/cbook.cgi?ID=C630080) Database ## How to use this template 1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor. 2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need. 3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page. 4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the MO diagram: carbon monoxide template free? You can preview the MO diagram: carbon monoxide template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates. ### Can I edit the MO diagram: carbon monoxide template? Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it. ### Is the chemistry checked? Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page. ### Which MO diagrams are included? H₂ and He₂, N₂ and O₂ (showing s–p mixing and paramagnetic O₂), and carbon monoxide. ## More general & inorganic templates [**VSEPR shapes**Free · General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-vsepr-shapes/)[**MO diagrams: N₂ and O₂**Free · General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-mo-n2-o2/)[**Crystal field splitting**Free · General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-crystal-field/)[**Born–Haber cycle: NaCl**Premium · General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-born-haber-nacl/)[**MO diagram: H₂ and He₂**Premium · General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-mo-h2/)[**High spin and low spin: d⁶**Premium · General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-high-low-spin/)[**Hess's law: ΔfH of carbon monoxide**Premium · General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-hess-co/)[**Galvanic cell: the Daniell cell**Premium · General & inorganic](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/genchem-galvanic-cell/) ## Related pages [**VSEPR & Molecular Geometry Worksheet**Free printable worksheet](https://www.moldraw.com/educational-materials/vsepr-molecular-geometry-worksheet/)[**Lewis Structure Worksheet**Free printable worksheet](https://www.moldraw.com/educational-materials/lewis-structure-worksheet/)[**Printable Periodic Table**Free printable worksheet](https://www.moldraw.com/educational-materials/printable-periodic-table/)[**All General & inorganic templates**12 templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/general-and-inorganic/)[**All chemistry templates**370 templates in 29 categories](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) MolDraw Pro Download all 370 templates - Export the 291 premium templates as PNG, SVG or PDF - AI chemistry assistant - Structure scanning from images - Cloud save and teaching slides [See Pro plans](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing) Free templates stay free. 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