Numford
Hybridisation

Hybridisation of XeOF₄

Xe is sp³d² hybridised (hybridization by the VSEPR count): 5 sigma bonds and 1 lone pair give a square pyramidal shape, bond angle about 90°.

FFXeOFF
  • Xe
  • O
  • F
  • lone pair

XeOF₄Xenon oxytetrafluoride

Square pyramidal

AB₅E: 5 bond pairs, 1 lone pair

  • Hybridisationsp³d²
  • Bond angleabout 90°
  • Polaritypolar

Why this shape

  1. Xe has 8 valence electrons. It uses six in one double bond to O and four single bonds to F, so two are left as one lone pair.
  2. Steric number = five sigma bonds + one lone pair = 6, so Xe is sp³d² hybridised. A double or triple bond counts once: only its sigma bond uses a hybrid orbital.
  3. Six electron pairs point to the corners of an octahedron (octahedral electron geometry). With one lone pair in place of atoms, the atoms make a square pyramidal shape.
  4. The lone pair takes any one of the six equal positions, and the five bonds form a square pyramid.
  5. The O sits on top, opposite the lone pair, and the four F atoms make the square. The angles are close to 90 degrees.
  6. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the square pyramidal shape, so XeOF₄ is polar.

Lewis structure

42 valence electrons
XeOFFFF

Formal charges: none

Working

Why this hybridisation and shape

  1. Xe has 8 valence electrons. It uses six in one double bond to O and four single bonds to F, so two are left as one lone pair.
  2. Steric number = five sigma bonds + one lone pair = 6, so Xe is sp³d² hybridised. A double or triple bond counts once: only its sigma bond uses a hybrid orbital.
  3. Six electron pairs point to the corners of an octahedron (octahedral electron geometry). With one lone pair in place of atoms, the atoms make a square pyramidal shape.
  4. The lone pair takes any one of the six equal positions, and the five bonds form a square pyramid.
  5. The O sits on top, opposite the lone pair, and the four F atoms make the square. The angles are close to 90 degrees.
  6. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the square pyramidal shape, so XeOF₄ is polar.

Class 11, Chapter 4 Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure.

Questions

Hybridisation of XeOF4: quick answers

What is the hybridisation of XeOF4?

Xe has 8 valence electrons. It uses six in one double bond to O and four single bonds to F, so two are left as one lone pair. Steric number = five sigma bonds + one lone pair = 6, so Xe is sp³d² hybridised. A double or triple bond counts once: only its sigma bond uses a hybrid orbital.

What is the shape of XeOF4 and its bond angle?

Square pyramidal, with a bond angle of about 90 degrees. Six electron pairs point to the corners of an octahedron (octahedral electron geometry). With one lone pair in place of atoms, the atoms make a square pyramidal shape. The lone pair takes any one of the six equal positions, and the five bonds form a square pyramid. The O sits on top, opposite the lone pair, and the four F atoms make the square. The angles are close to 90 degrees.

Is XeOF4 polar or non-polar?

Polar. The bond dipoles do not cancel in the square pyramidal shape, so XeOF₄ is polar.

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