What character is predominant in the bonding molecular orbital formed from 2p orbitals in Li2 through N2?

The bonding molecular orbital formed from 2p orbitals in diatomic molecules like Li2 through N2 predominantly exhibits 2p character due to the involvement of the 2p atomic orbitals in the molecular orbital theory for these elements. In the formation of molecular orbitals, the 2p orbitals of two atoms overlap to create bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals.

As you progress from lighter elements like lithium to nitrogen, the contributions of atomic orbitals from the participating atoms adjust, but the fundamental character derived from overlapping 2p orbitals remains dominant throughout. Specifically, in homonuclear diatomic molecules such as N2 or heteronuclear molecules like Li2, the bonding interactions largely arise from the overlap of the 2p atomic orbitals because these orbitals are higher in energy compared to the 1s and 2s orbitals and are specifically responsible for the chemical bonding and orientation of electron density between the two nuclei.

In the case of the other options: 1s character is more associated with the lowest energy molecular orbitals formed from 1s orbitals, and while 2s character can appear in some molecular orbitals, it is not predominant in the bonding formed strictly from 2p overlaps