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Cie Alevel

Aluminium chloride catalyses certain reactions by forming carbocations (carbonium ions) with choloralkanes as shown.
RCl + AlCl3 -> R+ +AlCl-4
Which property makes this reaction possible?

A AlCl3 is a covalent molecule.
B AlCl3 exists as the dimer Al2Cl6 in the vapour.
C The aluminum atom in AlCl3 has an incomplete octet of electrons.
D The chlorine atom in RCl has a vacant p orbital.
Hey I have moved your thread to a more specific forum :smile: hopefully, people with more better knowledge can see this better
Reply 2
Avatar for Pigster
Pigster
20
Original post by Sasha Shasha
Aluminium chloride catalyses certain reactions by forming carbocations (carbonium ions) with choloralkanes as shown.
RCl + AlCl3 -> R+ +AlCl-4
Which property makes this reaction possible?

A AlCl3 is a covalent molecule.
B AlCl3 exists as the dimer Al2Cl6 in the vapour.
C The aluminum atom in AlCl3 has an incomplete octet of electrons.
D The chlorine atom in RCl has a vacant p orbital.


Which do you think it might be? Which do you think it isn't? Why?
Original post by Pigster
Which do you think it might be? Which do you think it isn't? Why?

Maybe c I thnk
Why there is positive sign in R
Reply 4
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Pigster
20
Original post by Sasha Shasha
Maybe c I thnk
Why there is positive sign in R

It is C.

You haven't copied the other product too well. It should be AlCl4- (with sub/superscripts shown for clarity). You start with two compounds with no charge and create a negative AlCl4, so there must be a positive charge on the other one.

Heterolytic fission is taking place… the bonds between the C atom attached to the Cl (in RCl) and that Cl atom is breaking and both e- are moving to the Cl, therefore the C atom has lost an e-, and hence becomes +ve.

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