What is the name of the compound B2Cl2
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct name of the compound B₂Cl₂ is Diboron Dichloride.
Explanation:
- Understanding the Molecular Composition:
The chemical formula B₂Cl₂ consists of two boron (B) atoms and two chlorine (Cl) atoms. Since it contains two nonmetallic elements, it is classified as a covalent (molecular) compound. - Naming Covalent Compounds:
Covalent compounds follow the prefix naming system, where numerical prefixes indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the molecule:
- Di- means two (for boron)
- Di- means two (for chlorine)
- Applying the Naming Rules:
- The first element (boron) retains its name.
- The second element (chlorine) is modified by replacing the ending “-ine” with “-ide”, forming “chloride”.
- The appropriate prefixes are added to indicate the number of each atom.
- Exception for Mono- Prefix:
- If there were only one atom of the first element, the prefix “mono-“ would be omitted. However, since we have two boron atoms, “di-” is necessary.
- Similarly, “di-” is required for chlorine since there are two atoms.
- Final Name:
- Combining these rules, B₂Cl₂ is named Diboron Dichloride.
Additional Considerations:
- Stability and Reactivity: Diboron dichloride is not a common boron chloride compound. The more stable boron-chlorine compounds are BCl₃ (Boron Trichloride) and B₂Cl₄.
- Structure and Bonding: Diboron compounds often exhibit unique bonding, sometimes involving B–B single bonds or multiple bonding interactions due to boron’s electron deficiency.
Thus, the correct and systematic name for B₂Cl₂ is Diboron Dichloride.