lewis acid

[inaccensa]

3 . Many substances that are considered acids contain an
H+ ion. Similarly, many bases contain OH– ions.
BCl3, containing neither H+ nor OH–, would be
classified as:
A . a Brønsted base.
B . a Brønsted acid.
C . a Lewis base.
D . a Lewis acid

BCl3 has a central boron atom with only 6 electrons. A Lewis acid by definition is a compound which has fewer electrons than the familiar octet and can, therefore, accept a pair of electrons from another compound.

based on that definition can Becl2 be considered a lewis acid?

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[crazybob]

yeah. i don't see why not.

 

[inaccensa]

yeah. i don't see why not.

is this really possible? If it is the energy required to form the additional bond will still be exothermic? i know for a fact that they cannot expand their orbits and nor do they have lone pairs.

 

[crazybob]

if they use up the empty p orbitals and hybridize, they can still form more bonds.

the lewis acid is going to be accepting a pair of electrons from the lewis base, so it doesn't have to have a loan pair of electrons for the additional bond.

 

[inaccensa]

if they use up the empty p orbitals and hybridize, they can still form more bonds.

the lewis acid is going to be accepting a pair of electrons from the lewis base, so it doesn't have to have a loan pair of electrons for the additional bond.

I'm sorry about that lone pair comment, I was thinking lewis bases.

But only elements beyond the third period can expand their orbit.