InterviewSolution
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Give reason: (i) AlCl3 a lewis acid? (ii) Silicones are used in water proofing materials. |
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Answer» (i) Due to the electronegativity differences between CI (3.16) and AI (1.61), CI makes a good electron-withdrawing group in AlCl3. Furthermore, AI must access both its 2s and its three 2p orbitals to bond, so it uses sp3 hybridisation (one 2s and three 2p orbitals), giving it four bonding orbitals (one of which is empty as AlCl3 ). This allows it to form a fourth bond and acquire a tetrahedral structure as [AlCl4−]−. With one empty orbital and three electron- withdrawing Cl atoms attached, the compound is thus an electron-acceptor at the Al center. By definition, that is a Lewis acid. (ii) Silicones are aryl or alkyl substituted silicon chloride Rn SiCl (4 − n). The non- polar alkyl groups are water repelling, so they are used in water proofing materials. |
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