Question

Is CCl₄ Protic or Aprotic?

Answer 1

Polar protic solvents: Polar protic solvents are solvents that can form hydrogen bonds with substrates.

• They can form hydrogen bonds because they contain at least one hydrogen atom directly bonded to an electronegative atom (such as an O–H or N-H bond).
• Examples, Water, ethanol, methanol, ammonia, acetic acid, and other polar protic solvents.

Polar Aprotic Solvents: Polar aprotic solvents are those which are unable to form hydrogen bonds with the substrate.

• They have no hydrogen atom directly attached to an electronegative atom and are not capable of hydrogen bonding.
• Examples, Acetone, Chloroform, Dichloromethane, and other aprotic solvents.

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄): Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is an organic compound that can be formed by the halogenation reaction between methane and chlorine in the presence of sunlight.

• In this compound, the chlorine is arranged in a tetrahedron from around the carbon atom, giving a symmetric arrangement.
• There is a partial charge separation in covalent bonds due to electronegativity difference which causes the polarity of a bond.
• Chlorine has a high effective nuclear charge which leads to high electronegativity which makes the carbon atom slightly electropositive.
• This electronegativity difference between carbon and chlorine makes their bond polar.
• But the bond polarity alone cannot determine the nature of the whole complex.
• Due to the four equidistant bonds in this compound being arranged symmetrically, the dipole moment is directed towards the more electronegative chlorine atoms.
• The vector is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, therefore, the dipole moment of one bond cancels the other bond placed opposite to it.
• So, compounds have a net-zero dipole moment.
• 
• Hence, Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) has non-polar covalent bonds between carbon and chlorine and is an aprotic solvent.