What is the molecular geometry of the #BCl_3# molecule?

1 Answer
anor277
Nov 21, 2016

#"Boron trichloride"# is trigonal planar.

Explanation:

There are 3 boron-centred electrons, which form #3xxB-Cl# bonds. The geometry around boron is thus trigonal planar with #/_Cl-B-Cl=120^@#.

Now much of the chemistry of boron relates to the filling of its empty #"p-orbital"#; with extra halide ligand, #"tetrachloroborate anion"# is formed:

#BCl_3 + Cl^(-) rarr BCl_4^-#

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