Question

Check all the atoms that are impossible to adopt sp³d² hybridization.

Li

Xe

S

F

O

Answer 1

Li, F and O

Li, F and O can't adopt sp³d² hybridization and reason is because they don't have d-orbital in their valance shell. But S and Xe has vacant d orbital in their valance shell as their valance shell is 3 for S and 4 for Xe which contains d orbital (3d and 4d respectively) and the d orbital is required to adopt sp³d² hybridization but they also can not form sp³d² in ground state because they need electrons in d orbital to form that hybridization so they exited their electrons to their two vacant d - orbitals from p-orbital. Examples to sp³d² hybridized compound of these two elements are SF₆ and XeOF₄. Now the elements Li, F and O belong to 2nd period that means their valance shell is 2 which has only 2s and 2p orbital but not 2d there isn't any 2d orbital in real. Since they don't have d orbital they can't excite their electrons to and d orbital and orbital only undergo hybridization if there is electrons in them. For instance you could think that why electrons from 2p exited to 3d in these and then undergo hybridization but that's not possible because the energy barrier between 2p and 3d is so large that it's impossible for electrons to jump to 3d from 2p and because of the same reason 2p and hybridize with 3d. Therefore, they can't adopt sp³d² hybridization. The elements F and O can hardly adopt sp³ hybridization as the available valance orbital they have for hybridization is 2p.

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