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Leon Rogers

Is SiF4 a Lewis acid?

Alan Mayer  Follow

Interesting question. To begin with, SiF₄ does fulfill the definition of Lewis acid because it can accept electron pairs (those from, say, fluoride anions) in a vacant orbital (low lying, energetically available 4p orbitals).

However, a whole bunch of disagreement is still going on as to the real contribution of such AOs to the so-called expanded octet structures: some prefer to describe such compounds as made with remarkable ionic contributions, some say resonance structures become predominant, etc.

All in all, if you consider the existence of real compounds like H₂[SiF₆] or Na₂[SiF₆] (hexafluorosilicic acid and sodium hexafluorosilicate, respectively), you can clearly see both are made of the [SiF₆]²¯ (hexafluorosilicate) anion which is clearly a Lewis adduct.

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Connor Leech  Follow

E.C. of Si is 1s2,2s2 2p6, 3s2 3p2 3d0

Under exited state it's E.C. is 1s2, 2s2 2p6,3s1,3p3

It undergoes sp3 hybridization to give 4 sp3 hybrid orbitals and each hybrid orbital containing 1 electron ,now shares 1 electron from F- to form SiF4 molecule having tetrahedral structure.

Lewis acid can accept a pair of electron from Lewis base. Now in case of SiF4 molecule 3d- orbitals are empty hence it can accept electron pair from Lewis base e.g. F- to give [ SiF6] 2- ion.

On the other hand such process is not possible for compounds formed by 2nd period elements. Hence they can not act as Lewis Acid e.g. CF4 can not act as Lewis acid.

In nut shell presence of d- orbitals is responsible.

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Brian Gregory  Follow

In case of silicone halides inductive effect dominate over back bonding hence Lewis acid character decided by inductive effect.

Hence order of Lewis acid character:

[SiF4>SiCl4> SiBr4 > SiI4]

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Butch Black  Follow

SiF4 has the ability to extend the valency beyond four by using its vacant d- orbitals.

For example :

SiF4 +2F- = SiF6^2-

This reaction shows that SiF4 can act as a Lewis acid.

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Anika Shearing  Follow

A Lewis acid is an electron deficient species which accepts a Lone pair of electrons from a Lewis base.

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