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NEET CHEMISTRYMedium

The tendency of BF3BF_3, BCl3BCl_3 and BBr3BBr_3 to behave as Lewis acid decreases in the sequence:

A

BCl3>BF3>BBr3BCl_3 > BF_3 > BBr_3

B

BBr3>BCl3>BF3BBr_3 > BCl_3 > BF_3

C

BBr3>BF3>BCl3BBr_3 > BF_3 > BCl_3

D

BF3>BCl3>BBr3BF_3 > BCl_3 > BBr_3

Step-by-Step Solution

The Lewis acid character of boron trihalides depends on the extent of pπpπp\pi-p\pi back bonding. In BF3BF_3, the fully filled 2p orbital of fluorine effectively overlaps with the vacant 2p orbital of boron, significantly reducing boron's electron deficiency. As the size of the halogen atom increases down the group (2p2p for F, 3p3p for Cl, 4p4p for Br), the orbital overlap between its filled p-orbital and the empty 2p orbital of boron becomes progressively weaker and less effective due to the size mismatch. Consequently, the electron deficiency of the central boron atom is least compensated in BBr3BBr_3 and most compensated in BF3BF_3. Therefore, BBr3BBr_3 is the strongest Lewis acid, and the correct decreasing order of Lewis acidic strength is BBr3>BCl3>BF3BBr_3 > BCl_3 > BF_3.

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