Trisilylamine (SiH3)3N is: — p Block Elements Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Step 1: In trisilylamine, (SiH3)3N, the nitrogen atom has a lone pair of electrons, and each silicon atom has vacant 3d-orbitals. Step 2: Nitrogen donates its lone pair into the vacant 3d-orbitals of silicon via pπ-dπ back-bonding, which causes the hybridization of nitrogen to become sp2 (trigonal planar) and reduces the availability of the lone pair. Step 3: As a result, the molecule is trigonal planar and only weakly basic, corresponding to option (d).