Group 13 Flashcards
Name elements of Group 13
Boron - Aluminum - Gallium - Indium - Thallium - Nihonium
Discuss occurrence of Boron
- Borax
- Orthoboric acid
- Kernite
Give formula of borax
Na2B4O7.10H2O
Give formula of orthoboric acid
H3BO3
Give formula of kernite
Na2B4O7.4H2O
Where is borax found in India
Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan and Puga Valley in Ladakh
Does boron have isotopes? Discuss
Yes, two - B(10) and B(11)
Which isotope of Boron is more abundant
B(11) - 81%
Discuss abundancy of Aluminum
Most abundant metal
Third most abundant element on the Earth’s crust after oxygen and silicon
Discuss occurrence of Aluminum
- In Bauxite
- In Cryolite
- In mica
Give formula of Bauxite
Al2O3.2H2O
Give formula of Cryolite
Na3AlF6
Where is aluminum found in India
As Mica in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and Jammu
What is the atomic number and mass of Nihonium
Nh has atomic number - 113 and atomic mass - 286 g/mol
Is Nh natural? Give its half life
Nh is synthetically prepared and radioactive
Its more stable isotope has a half life of 20 seconds
Electronic configuration of group 13
ns2np1
Discuss atomic size trend
Atomic size increases on going down the group due to increase in number of shells
Discuss exception wrt atomic size
Ga has smaller size than Al because Ga has 10 d electrons which provide very small shielding effect for outer electrons and hence attracts the electrons closer to the nucleus
Discuss ionization enthalpy size trend
It decreases down the group as with increase in number of shells, the screening effect increases which makes it more and more easier to remove an electron
Discuss exception wrt ionization enthalpy
Ga > Al and Tl > In due to presence of d and f electrons
Discuss electronegativity size trend
It decreases from B to Al and then increases marginally
Discuss density size trend
Density increases down the group
Discuss physical properties of Boron
- Boron is non metallic
- It is hard and black colored
- It has many allotropic forms
- It has unusually high MP because of strong crystalline lattice
Discuss physical properties of all other elements
- They are soft metals
- They have low MP
- High electrical conductivity
Discuss exception in Gallium’s MP and BP
It is extremely low MP to the point where it melts in summer. It also has an incredibly high BP which makes it useful for measuring high temperatures
Oxidation State in Boron
Because of its small size, the sum of first 2 IEs is high and hence +3 ionic bonds are not formed. Instead, covalent bonds are formed.
Oxidation States observed in other elements
They show +1 and +3 oxidation states
Which OS is more stable and why
As we go down the group, due to poor shielding, the increased nuclear charge increases considerably and holds ns electrons tightly. This makes +1 OS more stable as we go down the group
Comparison of OS states
- +1 is predominant in Ga, In, Tl
- +3 is very oxidizing
- Compounds formed with +1 state are much more ionic than +3 compounds
Discuss stability of +3 metals
They have only 6 electrons in their outermost orbital making them electron deficient
They accept a pair of electrons, behaving as Lewis acids
Tendency to behave as LA increases with size
Al3+ compounds achieve stability by forming dimers
Discuss hydrolysis of +3 compounds
- Most of them get hydrolyzed to [M(OH)4]- which is tetrahedral and the hybridization of M is sp3
- Aluminum gets hydrolyzed to [Al(H2O)6]3+ which is octahedral and the hybridization of Al is sp3d2
Discuss reactivity in air
Boron is unreactive in crystalline form
Aluminum forms a very thin oxide layer which prevents further attack on the metal
All form oxides and nitrides
Oxides formation
M + O2 = M2O3
Nitrides formation
M + N2 = MN
Nature of oxides formed
Boron trioxide is acidic and reacts with metallic oxides to give metal borates
Aluminum and Gallium oxides are amphoteric
Indium and Thallium oxides are predominantly basic
Reactivity of boron with acids/alkalis
Boron does not react with either even at moderate temperatures
Reactivity of aluminum with acids/alkalis
Aluminum reacts with dil. HCl to release H2 gas
However with conc HNO3, it becomes passive due to formation of passive oxide layer
Aluminum also reacts with NaOH to release H2 gas
Reactivity with halogens
M + X2 = MX3
What anomalies can be seen in Boron
- Unlike other metal trihalides, BX3 is insoluble in water
- Other hydrolyzed compounds are also soluble in water except Boron
- BF3 (Lewis acid) reacts with NH3 (Lewis base) to complete its octet
- Other elements dimerize to attain stability but boron does not as its covalency cannot go beyond 4 due to absence of d orbitals
Correct formula of Borax
Na2 [B4O5{OH}4] 8H2O
Borax + water
Borax dissolves in water to give alkaline solution
Borax + water = NaOH + H3BO3 (weak acid)
Borax + heat
Initially, borax loses water and swells up (Na2B4O7)
On further heating, it forms a transparent liquid which solidifies into a glass like material (B2O3 - boric anhydride/borax bead)
Explain the borax bead test
Metaborates of many transition elements give different colored borax beads
eg: CoO on heating with a loop of platinum wire gives Co(BO2)2 which is a blue borax bead
Structure of Borax
White crystalline solid
Structure of H3BO3
White crystalline solid with soapy touch
Layer structure where planar BO3 units are joined by hydrogen bonds
Solubility of H3BO3
Sparingly soluble in water but solubility increases with heat
How is orthoboric acid prepared
By acidifying an aqueous solution of borax
By hydrolysis of any boron compounds
Discuss acidity of orthoboric acid
Weak monobasic acid
Acts as a Lewis acid by accepting electrons from a hydroxyl ion
Heating orthoboric acid
H3BO3 + heat = H2BO3 (metaboric acid)
H2BO3 + heat = B2O3
How is diborane prepared
BF3 + LiAlH4 = B2H6 + LiF + AlF3 In a laboratory, NaBH4 + I2 = NaI + B2H6 + H2 Industrially, BF3 + NaH = B2H6 + NaF
Physical properties of diborane
Colorless, highly toxic gas
Catches fire spontaneously in air ( most higher boranes are spontaneously flammable)
Hydrolysis of diboranes
B2H6 + H2O = B(OH)3 + H2
Diborane + Lewis Acid
Adducts are formed with the Lewis acid
eg: B2H6 + CO = BH3.CO
What is borazine
Inorganic benzene
B3N3H6
How is borazine formed?
B2H6 + NH3 = [BH2(NH3)2]+ [BH4]-
[BH2(NH3)2]+ [BH4]- + heat = B3N3H6 + H2
Structure of B2H6
Four terminal hydrogens + two boron atoms are all in one plane connected by single bonds
The remaining two hydrogens are bridge atoms above and below this plane with B-H-B bonds
Hydridoborates
Boron forms a series of hydridoborates, the most important one being [BH4]-
Lithium and sodium tetraborates are formed using this ion
What does -ve electrode potential mean
High tendency to perform reaction, makes stable product
What does +ve electrode potential mean
Low tendency to perform, very unstable
White fumes appear around the bottle of anhydrous aluminum chloride. Give reason
Anhydrous AlCl3 is partially hydrolyzed with atmospheric moisture to liberate HCl gas. Moist HCl appears white in color
Why is Boric acid considered weak
Because it cannot liberate H+ ions on its own. It receives OH- ions from water, completes its octet and then releases H+ ion