Phosphorus pentachloride in the solid exists as : — Chemical Bonding Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Step 1: In the gas phase, phosphorus pentachloride exists as covalent trigonal bipyramidal PCl5 molecules. Step 2: In the solid state, it undergoes auto-ionization to achieve a more stable ionic lattice. Step 3: It crystallizes as [PCl4]^+ [PCl6]^-, which is composed of tetrahedral cations and octahedral anions.