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The Antimony pentachloride Lewis structure is Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond and Sb–Cl single bond; the central Sb has 5 electron domains (0 lone pairs), giving a trigonal bipyramidal electron-domain arrangement and a trigonal bipyramidal molecular geometry with a 90° / 120° bond angle. Sb is best described as sp3d-hybridized, and Antimony pentachloride is nonpolar because the bond dipoles cancel by molecular symmetry.
Figure 1: Lewis Structure of Antimony pentachloride (Cl5Sb)
| Chemical Formula | Cl5Sb |
| CAS Number | 7647-18-9 |
| Total Valence Electrons | 40 |
| Lewis Structure | Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond and Sb–Cl single bond |
| Electron-Domain Geometry | trigonal bipyramidal |
| Molecular Geometry | trigonal bipyramidal |
| Hybridization Model | sp3d (central Sb) |
| Bond Angle | 90° / 120° |
| Polarity | Nonpolar molecule |
This organic compound is used as a solvent, intermediate or specialty reagent in fine-chemical, pharmaceutical and materials synthesis; specify grade and impurity profile when sourcing.
To draw the Antimony pentachloride Lewis structure we first count the total valence electrons. Cl5Sb contains 5×7 (Cl) + 5 (Sb); the net charge of 0 gives a total of 40 valence electrons to place.
The central atom is Sb. 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 = 5×7 (Cl) + 5 (Sb) = 40 electrons.
Place Sb 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: Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond and Sb–Cl single bond; no lone pairs on Sb.
Counting bonding and nonbonding electrons around Sb therefore satisfies the octet/expanded-octet requirement for the drawn structure.
VSEPR theory states that the 5 electron domains around Sb arrange to minimize mutual repulsion, giving an trigonal bipyramidal electron-domain geometry.
Because 0 of these domains are lone pair(s) — and lone pairs repel more strongly than bonding pairs — the observed molecular geometry is trigonal bipyramidal; the Sb bond angle is set to 90° / 120° 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 0 lone pair(s) on Sb, 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, Sb uses sp3d hybrid orbitals to form the 5 equivalent electron-domain directions (5 bonding + 0 lone pair).
Formal charge on central Sb = V − N − ½B = 5 − 0 − ½×10 = 0. The preferred Lewis structure carries zero formal charge on the central atom (and on the terminals), so it is the dominant contributor.
Antimony pentachloride is nonpolar. Although individual Sb–terminal bonds are polar when the atoms differ in electronegativity, the trigonal bipyramidal geometry makes their vector sum zero, so there is no net molecular dipole.
A common misconception is that polar bonds guarantee a polar molecule. Antimony pentachloride shows the opposite: identical bond dipoles arranged with trigonal bipyramidal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antimony pentachloride | Cl5Sb | Sb | 5 | trigonal bipyramidal | Nonpolar |
| Carbon dioxide | CO2 | C | 2 | linear | Nonpolar |
| Carbon monoxide | CO | C | 2 | linear (diatomic) | Polar |
| Carbon disulfide | CS2 | C | 2 | linear | Nonpolar |
Antimony pentachloride is nonpolar. Its trigonal bipyramidal symmetry cancels the bond dipoles exactly.
Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond, Sb–Cl single bond and Sb–Cl single bond; no lone pairs on Sb. It uses all 40 valence electrons and the preferred structure carries zero formal charge on the central atom.
The Sb angle is about 90° / 120°. Lone-pair repulsion compresses the angle from the ideal trigonal bipyramidal value.
The conventional model is sp3d. Antimony pentachloride has 5 electron domains around the central Sb.
The CAS number is 7647-18-9. PubChem (CID 24294) and NIST identify this with Cl5Sb; 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 7647-18-9 identifies the substance, not a universal purity specification.
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