Smaller higher charged cations are more polarising and this gives more covalent character. Larger cations are conversely less polarising. This is "Fajans Rules"
If the ion sizes are similar, charges are lower, and there is a greater overlap of electron clouds between the ions in the compound, it may exhibit more covalent character. This happens because the sharing of electrons becomes more significant, blurring the line between purely ionic and covalent bonding.
The greater the electronegativity difference between the two bonded atoms, greater is the ionic character of the bond.
Cu-Cl is more ionic than I-Cl as the difference in the electronegativity is more in the case of Cu and Cl.
Fajans' Rules, formulated by Kazimierz Fajans in 1923, are used to predict whether a chemical bond will be covalentor ionic, and depend on the charge on the cation and the relative sizes of the cation and anion.IonicCovalentLow positive chargeHigh positive chargeLarge cationSmall cationSmall anionLarge anionThus sodium chloride (with a low positive charge (+1), a fairly large cation (~1 Å) and relatively small anion (2Å) is ionic; but aluminum iodide (AlI3) (with a high positive charge (+3) and a large anion) is covalent.
Can an ionic compound ever consist of a cation-cation or anion- anion bond? Explain.
If the ion sizes are similar, charges are lower, and there is a greater overlap of electron clouds between the ions in the compound, it may exhibit more covalent character. This happens because the sharing of electrons becomes more significant, blurring the line between purely ionic and covalent bonding.
Covalent bonds have ionic "character" when they are polar. The more polar, (greater the electronegativity difference) the more ionic character.
The greater the electronegativity difference between the two bonded atoms, greater is the ionic character of the bond.
Cu-Cl is more ionic than I-Cl as the difference in the electronegativity is more in the case of Cu and Cl.
An ionic compound contain a cation and an anion.
Fajans' Rules, formulated by Kazimierz Fajans in 1923, are used to predict whether a chemical bond will be covalentor ionic, and depend on the charge on the cation and the relative sizes of the cation and anion.IonicCovalentLow positive chargeHigh positive chargeLarge cationSmall cationSmall anionLarge anionThus sodium chloride (with a low positive charge (+1), a fairly large cation (~1 Å) and relatively small anion (2Å) is ionic; but aluminum iodide (AlI3) (with a high positive charge (+3) and a large anion) is covalent.
Can an ionic compound ever consist of a cation-cation or anion- anion bond? Explain.
The Ionic Charge
A cation and an anion
A metal typically has a greater atomic radius than its ionic radius. When a metal loses electrons to become a cation, the outer electrons are removed, leading to a decrease in the ionic radius compared to the neutral atom's atomic radius.
One common method for calculating a compound's ionic character is to determine the difference in electronegativity between the atoms involved. The greater the difference in electronegativity, the more ionic character the compound will have. Another way is to look at the compound's bond strength and the degree of electron sharing between the atoms; stronger bonds and less electron sharing indicate more ionic character.
Typically in writing an ionic compound, the cation is written first, then the anion.