B

B. E. Douglas, D. H. McDaniel, J. J. Alexander, Concepts and Models of Inorganic Chemistry, 3^rd edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1994, page 103.

Problem 2.7

Give the expected hybridization of P, O, and Sb in Cl₃P-O-SbCl₅. The P-O-Sb bond angle is 165^o.

Answer:

Examination of the possible Lewis structures gives:

In either case, the s hybridization about the P atom is an sp³/sd³ mixture and the hybridization about the Sb atom is d²sp³. The O atom is probably a mixture of sp² and sp³ hybridization with the large P-O-Sb bond angle a result of the bulkiness of the PCl₃ and SbCl₅ groups.