Why lithium chloride is soluble in organic solvent?

Answer 1

Covalent compounds are non polar. And almost all organic compounds are non polar. According to the rule of the thumb- 'like dissolves like', covalent compounds are soluble in organic solvents.

What is meant by 'like dissolves like'?

It means that for two substances to dissolve in each other they must be of the same type- either both polar or both non-polar.

To understand why this likeliness is required for solution formation, the chemistry of solution formation must be analyzed.

In a solution, the constituents interact which each other through chemical bond formation. And the chemical bonds must be of the same type as that of the constituents when they are separate so that they are able to replace each other's position to create a condition where there seems to be no distinction between the molecules constituting the solution. This is what is called 'dissolving'.

If a polar and a non-polar substance are mixed, the polar substance would exert a greater attractive force on the electrons of non-polar substance which would make the non-polar unstable and thus the mix. Every element wants to be energetically stable and therefore, polar and non-polar do not mix.

If two polar substances A and B are mixed, then the forces of attraction between A and B are similar to the forces between A and A and that between B and B. So the solution is stable. This is the same case with non-polar substances.

Answer 2

The halogen molecules are non polar, so solubility in non polar solvents is not actually surprising. In fact we'd expect them not to be soluble in water. They appear soluble in water largely because they react with it to form soluble products. Iodine does not dissolve well in water. The familiar 'iodine solution' used in the starch test is iodine dissolved in potassium iodide solution, where the iodine species present is the I3- ion. This gives the familiar brown colour, whereas iodine in simple molecular solution in organic solvents shows its true purple colour.

Answer 3

Lithium Chloride is an ionic compound. It will dissolve in organic solvents as long as they are polar.

Answer 4

because all the organic compounds contain carbon

Answer 5

No. Complex covalent compounds dissolve in organic solvents.

Answer 6

Also ionic compounds are soluble in several organic solvents.