frontier orbitals

https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.F02533
The Highest-energy Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) (filled or partly filled) and Lowest-energy Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) (completely or partly vacant) of a molecular entity. Examination of the mixing of frontier molecular orbitals of reacting molecular entities affords an approach to the interpretation of reaction behaviour; this constitutes a simplified perturbation molecular orbital theory of chemical behaviour.
See also: SOMO, subjacent orbital
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 1116 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466051077)