Yes, antibonding molecular orbitals are formed through a destructive interaction of atomic orbitals. When atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals, the combination can be either constructive or destructive.
In constructive interference, the wave functions of the atomic orbitals align in-phase, resulting in a bonding molecular orbital. This bonding orbital has lower energy than the individual atomic orbitals, promoting stability and the formation of a chemical bond.
In contrast, in destructive interference, the wave functions of the atomic orbitals align out-of-phase, resulting in an antibonding molecular orbital. This antibonding orbital has higher energy than the individual atomic orbitals and can act to destabilize the molecule. Electrons occupying antibonding orbitals are less likely to contribute to bonding and may weaken or break existing bonds.
The formation of both bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals occurs through the process of molecular orbital theory, which involves the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) approach. By combining atomic orbitals with appropriate phase relationships, both bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals can be derived.
It's worth noting that the presence of antibonding orbitals does not necessarily imply that a molecule will be unstable or reactive. The overall stability and reactivity of a molecule depend on a combination of factors, including the relative energies and occupations of both bonding and antibonding orbitals.