Numford
Hybridisation

Hybridisation of SO₂Cl₂

S is sp³ hybridised (hybridization by the VSEPR count): 4 sigma bonds and no lone pairs give a tetrahedral shape, bond angle about 109.5°.

OClSOCl
  • S
  • O
  • Cl

SO₂Cl₂Sulphuryl chloride

Tetrahedral

AB₄: 4 bond pairs, no lone pairs

  • Hybridisationsp³
  • Bond angleabout 109.5°
  • Polaritypolar

Why this shape

  1. S has 6 valence electrons. It uses six in two double bonds to O and two single bonds to Cl, so none are left over.
  2. Steric number = four sigma bonds + no lone pairs = 4, so S is sp³ hybridised. A double or triple bond counts once: only its sigma bond uses a hybrid orbital.
  3. Four electron pairs point to the corners of a tetrahedron (tetrahedral electron geometry). With no lone pairs the atoms take the same shape: tetrahedral.
  4. There is no lone pair on S, but two bonds are S=O and two are S-Cl, so the shape is a distorted tetrahedron.
  5. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the tetrahedral shape, so SO₂Cl₂ is polar.

Lewis structure

32 valence electrons
SOClOCl

Formal charges: none

Working

Why this hybridisation and shape

  1. S has 6 valence electrons. It uses six in two double bonds to O and two single bonds to Cl, so none are left over.
  2. Steric number = four sigma bonds + no lone pairs = 4, so S is sp³ hybridised. A double or triple bond counts once: only its sigma bond uses a hybrid orbital.
  3. Four electron pairs point to the corners of a tetrahedron (tetrahedral electron geometry). With no lone pairs the atoms take the same shape: tetrahedral.
  4. There is no lone pair on S, but two bonds are S=O and two are S-Cl, so the shape is a distorted tetrahedron.
  5. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the tetrahedral shape, so SO₂Cl₂ is polar.

Class 11, Chapter 4 Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure.

Questions

Hybridisation of SO2Cl2: quick answers

What is the hybridisation of SO2Cl2?

S has 6 valence electrons. It uses six in two double bonds to O and two single bonds to Cl, so none are left over. Steric number = four sigma bonds + no lone pairs = 4, so S is sp³ hybridised. A double or triple bond counts once: only its sigma bond uses a hybrid orbital.

What is the shape of SO2Cl2 and its bond angle?

Tetrahedral, with a bond angle of about 109.5 degrees. Four electron pairs point to the corners of a tetrahedron (tetrahedral electron geometry). With no lone pairs the atoms take the same shape: tetrahedral. There is no lone pair on S, but two bonds are S=O and two are S-Cl, so the shape is a distorted tetrahedron.

Is SO2Cl2 polar or non-polar?

Polar. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the tetrahedral shape, so SO₂Cl₂ is polar.

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