Question 10

Do you expect the carbon hydrides of the type (CnH2n+2) to act as 'Lewis' acid or base? Justify your answer.

Answer

For carbon hydrides of type CnH2n+2, the following hydrides are possible for

n = 1 ⇒ CH4

n = 2 ⇒ C2H6

n = 3 ⇒ C3H8 

:            :

For a hydride to act as a Lewis acid i.e., electron accepting, it should be electron-deficient. Also, for it to act as a Lewis base i.e., electron donating, it should be electron-rich.



Taking C2H6 as an example, the total number of electrons are 14 and the total covalent bonds are seven. Hence, the bonds are regular 2e- -2 centered bonds.

Hence, hydride C2H6 has sufficient electrons to be represented by a conventional Lewis structure. Therefore, it is an electron-precise hydride, having all atoms with complete octets. Thus, it can neither donate nor accept electrons to act as a Lewis acid or Lewis base.

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