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Question: Answered & Verified by Expert
Which trihalide is not hydrolysed by water?
Chemistryp Block Elements (Group 15, 16, 17 & 18)NEET
Options:
  • A NF3
  • B NCl3
  • C PCl3
  • D AsCl3
Solution:
2513 Upvotes Verified Answer
The correct answer is: NF3
In the first stage of hydrolysis, an extra bond is formed by water molecule. While chlorine and the group 15 elements (except nitrogen) can expand their octet by using vacant d-orbitals of the valence shell, F and N cannot. As a result, NF3 is extremely stable.
Trihalides of P, As, Sb and Bi hydrolyse readily.
NF3+H2O(l) No hydrolysis
NCl3+3H2O(l)NH3+3HOCl
PCl3+3H2O(l)H3PO3+3HCl
2AsCl3+3H2O6HCl+As2O3
Notes: A. SbCl3 and BiCl3 also hydrolyze to form basic oxochlorides.
BiCl2+H2OBiOCl+2HCl
B. Hydrolysis of NCl3 is thought to proceed by stepwise replacement of chlorine, the lone pair on N-atom bonding to hydrogen atom of a water molecule

NHCl2+H2ONH2Cl+HClO
NH2Cl+H2ONH3+HClO

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