Question

Structure and hybridisation of $I{F}_7$

• A. Trigonal bipyramidal and respectively.
• B. Pentagonal bipyramidal and respectively.
• C. Octahedral and respectively.
• D. None of the above.

Answer 1

The correct option is B Pentagonal bipyramidal and respectively.

This is a very popular case where we use VSEPR to predict the shape and geometry of the $I{F}_7$ molecule with more than six electron pairs.

In the figure (below) we have shown the third excited electronic configuration of the central Iodine atom. According to the VSEPR theory, the shape is pentagonal bipyramidal while the hybridisation is $s{p}^3{d}^3$.