Which of the following molecules contains maximum number of electrons in antibonding molecular orbitals?

Step-by-step solution

Determining antibonding electron counts involves writing molecular orbital configurations for each diatomic species. Total electron counts are: L i₂ : 6, N₂ : 14, O₂ : 16, F₂ : 18 For Li₂ (6 electrons): MO = ( _ 1s )^2 ( ^*_ 1s )^2 ( _ 2s )^2 Antibonding electrons: 2 For molecules with ≤14 electrons (N₂ ): MO = ( _ 1s )^2 ( ^*_ 1s )^2 ( _ 2s )^2 ( ^*_ 2s )^2 ( _ 2p )^4 ( _ 2p_z )^2 Antibonding electrons: 4 For molecules with >14 electrons (O₂ , F₂ ): MO = ( _ 1s )^2 ( ^*_ 1s )^2 ( _ 2s )^2 ( ^*_ 2s )^2 ( _ 2p_z )^2