Chemistry · Ch 7 — Elements of Groups 16, 17 and 18
Interhalogen compounds
Interhalogen compounds
We have seen that all halogen molecules are diatomic. They form binary compounds with hydrogen; with oxygen they form oxoacids; and with other halogens they form interhalogen compounds. Although all halogens belong to the same group, they have different electronegativities. Due to this difference in electronegativity, two or more halogen atoms combine to form species which may be ionic or neutral. The neutral molecules are called interhalogen compounds — for example ClF, .
An interhalogen compound is a compound formed by the combination of atoms of different halogens. The interhalogen compound is regarded as the halide of the more electropositive halogen. A given halogen forms an interhalogen compound only with a halogen having lesser electronegativity.
Do you know ? The ions formed by the combination of different halogens are called polyhalide ions, or interhalogen ions — for example and , which contain the and ions.
Table 7.9 Various types of interhalogen compounds
| Element | Fluoride | Chloride | Bromide | Iodide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | ClF, , | − | − | − |
| Bromine | BrF, , | BrCl | − | − |