Problem

The reasons behind the relative Lewis acidities of the boron halides BF3, BCl3, and BBr3...

The reasons behind the relative Lewis acidities of the boron halides BF3, BCl3, and BBr3 with respect to NH3 have been controversial. Although BF3 might be expected to be the strongest Lewis acid on the basis of electronegativity, the Lewis acidity order is BBr3 > BCl3 > BF3. Consult the references listed below to address the following questions.

(See also J. A. Plumley, J. D. Evanseck, J. Phys.

Chem. A , 2009 , 113 , 5985.)

a. How does the LCP approach account for a Lewis acidity order of BBr3 > BCl3 > BF3 ? (See B. D. Rowsell, R. J. Gillespie, G. L. Heard, Inorg. Chem. , 1999 , 38 , 4659.)

b. What explanation has been offered on the basis of the calculations presented in F. Bessac, G. Frenking, Inorg. Chem. , 2003 , 42 , 7990? The following problems use molecular modeling software.

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Solutions For Problems in Chapter 6