Question

Boron halides are:
This question has multiple correct options
(A) Electron deficient compounds
(B) Lewis acids
(C) Lewis bases
(D) Ionic compounds

Answer 1

Hint: Boron is a mineral that can be present in a variety of foods, including nuts, as well as in the atmosphere. Boron supplements are used as a drug. It is a low-abundance element in the Solar System and the Earth's crust, generated entirely by cosmic ray spallation and supernovae rather than stellar nucleosynthesis.

Complete answer:
Electron deficiency refers to atoms or molecules that have fewer electrons than are needed for maximum stability. Since the valence shell of boron trihalides has only six electrons and requires two more to complete its octet, boron halides such as \[{\text{B}}{{\text{F}}_{\text{3}}}\] and ${\text{BC}}{{\text{l}}_{\text{3}}}$ are electron deficient compounds.
A Lewis acid is an electron-deficient molecule or a positive ion that accepts an electron pair. Boron halides tend to act as a strong Lewis acid by accepting electron pairs from the base and forming a stable acid-base adduct as a result of this property.
Hence, Boron halides are both electron deficient compounds and are Lewis acids.
Since there are multiple correct answers to this question, the correct answers are (A) and (B).

Note:
Multiple bonding will be required to minimise the boron atom's tendency to accept electron density from a Lewis base by increasing its electron density. Boron halides undergo a variety of reactions in addition to serving as Lewis acids. The boron halides react vigorously with water to yield boric acid and the resulting hydrogen halide, as do most compounds containing covalent bonds between a nonmetal and a halogen.