What is the Lewis Structure of ICl3?

The Lewis structure of ICl₃ (Iodine Trichloride) can be determined by following these steps:

1. Count the total number of valence electrons: Iodine (I) has 7 valence electrons, and each Chlorine (Cl) atom has 7 valence electrons. Since there are 3 Chlorine atoms, the total number of valence electrons is 7 (I) + 3 × 7 (Cl) = 28 electrons.
2. Place the least electronegative atom in the center: Iodine is less electronegative than Chlorine, so it will be the central atom.
3. Connect the outer atoms to the central atom with single bonds: Each Chlorine atom is connected to the Iodine atom with a single bond. This uses 3 × 2 = 6 electrons, leaving 22 electrons.
4. Distribute the remaining electrons: The remaining 22 electrons are placed as lone pairs around the atoms. Each Chlorine atom gets 3 lone pairs (6 electrons each), and the Iodine atom gets 2 lone pairs (4 electrons).

The Lewis structure of ICl₃ is as follows:

    Cl
    |
Cl—I—Cl
    |
    Cl

Electron Pair Geometry: The electron pair geometry of ICl₃ is trigonal bipyramidal. This is because there are 5 regions of electron density around the Iodine atom (3 bonding pairs and 2 lone pairs).

Molecular Geometry: The molecular geometry of ICl₃ is T-shaped. This is due to the presence of 2 lone pairs on the Iodine atom, which repel the bonding pairs, resulting in a T-shaped structure.

Hybridization: The hybridization of the Iodine atom in ICl₃ is sp³d. This is because the Iodine atom has 5 regions of electron density, which requires 5 hybrid orbitals.