STRUCTURE REASONING
How I₂Cl₆ bridge bonding works.
Each bridge combines an existing I–Cl shared pair with chlorine lone-pair donation toward the neighbouring iodine acceptor direction. The lab retains the common AX₄E₂/sp³d² classroom label while noting that modern hypervalent bonding does not require literal d-orbital hybridisation.
2 × 3c–4e bridges + 4 × terminal 2c–2e I–Cl bonds
Bridge I–Cl contacts are longer and weaker per contact than terminal I–Cl bonds.
ADVANCED CONCEPT CHECKLIST
Facts to read from the 3D model.
- All eight atoms of the complete I₂Cl₆ framework are shown in one plane.
- Each iodine carries two axial lone-pair orbitals perpendicular to the molecular plane.
- The two Cl bridges are reciprocal 3c–4e units, not two independent ordinary bonds each.
- The displayed I–Cl–I bridge angle is approximately 104° in the model.