Yes, the molecule ICl (iodine chloride) is polar. This polarity arises due to the difference in electronegativity between iodine (I) and chlorine (Cl). Chlorine is more electronegative than iodine, meaning it has a stronger tendency to attract electrons towards itself.
In ICl, chlorine pulls the shared electron pair closer to itself, creating a slight negative charge (δ-) on the chlorine atom, while the iodine atom, having a lower electronegativity, ends up with a slight positive charge (δ+). This charge separation results in a dipole moment, which indicates that the molecule has a polar character.
To summarize, in ICl, the chlorine end is considered negative (δ-) due to its higher electronegativity, while the iodine end is positive (δ+). This uneven distribution of electron density leads to the overall polarity of the molecule.