AICI, + :NH, ?
NH, is the base and AICI, is the acid. The product is a Lewis acid-base complex.
Write the product(s) of the reaction:
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
In the given reaction, AlCl₃ (Aluminum chloride) is the Lewis acid and NH₃ (ammonia) is the Lewis base. The reaction leads to the formation of a Lewis acid-base complex.
Reaction:
AlCl₃ (acid) + NH₃ (base) → AlCl₃·NH₃ (Lewis acid-base complex)
Explanation:
- Lewis Acid and Base Concept:
- A Lewis acid is a substance that can accept a pair of electrons. It has an electron-deficient center.
- A Lewis base is a substance that can donate a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond. It has a lone pair of electrons.
- Role of AlCl₃:
- Aluminum chloride (AlCl₃) acts as a Lewis acid because aluminum (Al) has an incomplete electron shell, making it electron-deficient and capable of accepting electron pairs.
- Specifically, the aluminum atom in AlCl₃ has an empty p-orbital and can accept electron pairs from a Lewis base, such as ammonia (NH₃).
- Role of NH₃:
- Ammonia (NH₃) acts as a Lewis base because nitrogen has a lone pair of electrons in its valence shell that can be donated to a Lewis acid.
- In this case, NH₃ donates its lone pair of electrons to the electron-deficient aluminum atom in AlCl₃.
- Formation of the Complex:
- When NH₃ donates its lone pair to the Al atom, a coordinate covalent bond is formed between nitrogen and aluminum.
- The result is the formation of a Lewis acid-base complex: AlCl₃·NH₃. The bond between Al and N in this complex is a dative bond, where both electrons in the bond come from the nitrogen atom of ammonia.
Final Product:
The product of the reaction is the AlCl₃·NH₃ complex, where AlCl₃ is the Lewis acid, and NH₃ is the Lewis base. This complex may have different structures depending on the conditions, but generally, it forms a stable association between aluminum chloride and ammonia.