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The Bromine tetrafluoride ion Lewis structure is Br–F single bond, Br–F single bond, Br–F single bond and Br–F single bond; the central Br has 6 electron domains (2 lone pairs), giving a octahedral electron-domain arrangement and a square planar molecular geometry with a 90° bond angle. Br is best described as sp3d2-hybridized, and Bromine tetrafluoride ion is nonpolar because the bond dipoles cancel by molecular symmetry.
Figure 1: Lewis Structure of Bromine tetrafluoride ion (BrF4)
| Chemical Formula | BrF4 |
| CAS Number | 23707-28-0 |
| Net Charge | -1 |
| Total Valence Electrons | 36 |
| Lewis Structure | Br–F single bond, Br–F single bond, Br–F single bond and Br–F single bond |
| Electron-Domain Geometry | octahedral |
| Molecular Geometry | square planar |
| Hybridization Model | sp3d2 (central Br) |
| Bond Angle | 90° |
| Polarity | Nonpolar molecule |
In aqueous and process chemistry, BrF4 exists as the anion Bromine tetrafluoride ion ion. It is encountered as a counterion and a controlled source of Br in salts, buffers, electrochemistry and analytical protocols, and as a reactant in syntheses that require a defined equivalent of Br-containing material.
To draw the Bromine tetrafluoride ion Lewis structure we first count the total valence electrons. BrF4 contains 7 (Br) + 4×7 (F) − 1 (net anion); the net charge of -1 gives a total of 36 valence electrons to place.
The central atom is Br. It is the least electronegative atom capable of forming multiple bonds and is surrounded by the more electronegative terminal atom(s); hydrogen, when present, always occupies a terminal position. Electronegativity considerations place the electron density toward the terminal atom(s).
Total valence electrons = 7 (Br) + 4×7 (F) − 1 (net anion) = 36 electrons.
Place Br at the center and connect each surrounding atom with a single bond, complete octets on the terminal atoms, and place any remaining electrons on the central atom. The resulting electron distribution is: Br–F single bond, Br–F single bond, Br–F single bond and Br–F single bond; 2 lone pairs on Br.
Counting bonding and nonbonding electrons around Br therefore satisfies the octet/expanded-octet requirement for the drawn structure.
VSEPR theory states that the 6 electron domains around Br arrange to minimize mutual repulsion, giving an octahedral electron-domain geometry.
Because 2 of these domains are lone pair(s) — and lone pairs repel more strongly than bonding pairs — the observed molecular geometry is square planar; the Br bond angle is set to 90° rather than the ideal value for the electron-domain geometry.
A useful VSEPR approximation is: lone pair–lone pair repulsion > lone pair–bonding pair repulsion > bonding pair–bonding pair repulsion. With 2 lone pair(s) on Br, the lone-pair domains occupy positions that minimize overall repulsion while pushing the bonding domains (and therefore the bonded atoms) closer together.
In the conventional localized-bond model, Br uses sp3d2 hybrid orbitals to form the 6 equivalent electron-domain directions (4 bonding + 2 lone pair).
Formal charge on central Br = V − N − ½B = 7 − 4 − ½×8 = -1. The nonzero formal charge is distributed by resonance / charge separation; the drawn structure is the lowest-energy contributor.
Bromine tetrafluoride ion is nonpolar. Although individual Br–terminal bonds are polar when the atoms differ in electronegativity, the square planar geometry makes their vector sum zero, so there is no net molecular dipole.
A common misconception is that polar bonds guarantee a polar molecule. Bromine tetrafluoride ion shows the opposite: identical bond dipoles arranged with square planar symmetry cancel exactly, yielding a nonpolar species.
Interpretation consistent with standard VSEPR / molecular-geometry references.Its nonpolar character governs solvation and intermolecular behavior; specify grade and handling when sourcing.
| Species | Formula | Central Atom | Electron Domains | Molecular Geometry | Polarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromine tetrafluoride ion | BrF4 | Br | 6 | square planar | Nonpolar |
| Bromine trifluoride | BrF3 | Br | 5 | T-shaped | Polar |
| Hydrogen bromide | HBr | Br | 4 | linear (diatomic) | Polar |
Bromine tetrafluoride ion is nonpolar. Its square planar symmetry cancels the bond dipoles exactly.
Br–F single bond, Br–F single bond, Br–F single bond and Br–F single bond; 2 lone pairs on Br. It uses all 36 valence electrons and the preferred structure carries a formal charge of -1 on the central atom.
The Br angle is about 90°. Lone-pair repulsion compresses the angle from the ideal octahedral value.
The conventional model is sp3d2. Bromine tetrafluoride ion has 6 electron domains around the central Br.
The CAS number is 23707-28-0. PubChem and NIST identify this with BrF4; use it to locate suppliers and database records.
Technical scope: Lewis structures, VSEPR and hybridization are model-based descriptions for chemical communication and structure prediction; actual molecular electronic structure is more accurately represented by molecular-orbital and quantum-chemical methods. Commercial grades vary substantially by supplier and intended use; CAS 23707-28-0 identifies the substance, not a universal purity specification.
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