What would be the structure of ICl_2^(-) ion?

1 Answer
anor277
Dec 30, 2017

Is the ion not linear? Electronic geometry is trigonal bipyramidal.

Explanation:

There are 3xx7_"valence electrons"+1_"negative charge"=22*"electrons" to arrange over three centres. And, typically, we put the LEAST electronegative atom centrally...

And so....Cl-I-Cl, from left to right, chlorine has 1 bonding pair and bears 3 lone pairs, iodine has 2 bonding pairs, and bears 3 lone pairs, and the terminal chlorine has bonding pair and bears 3 lone pairs, as before.

![chemtes.com](useruploads.socratic.org)

Because iodine is associated with EIGHT electrons, i.e. 3 lone pairs, and it is assigned 2 bonding electrons, it bears a FORMAL negative charge. The chlorine atoms are each associated with 7 electrons, and hence these centres are formally neutral.

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