Question:

The chloride that CANNOT get hydrolysed is :

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Hydrolysis of group 14 tetrachlorides needs the central atom to accept a lone pair of water in vacant d-orbitals; carbon has no d-orbitals.
Updated On: Nov 5, 2026
  • \(\mathrm{SnCl_4}\)
  • \(\mathrm{SiCl_4}\)
  • \(\mathrm{PbCl_4}\)
  • \(\mathrm{CCl_4}\)
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

\(\mathrm{SiCl_4}\), \(\mathrm{SnCl_4}\) and \(\mathrm{PbCl_4}\) are hydrolysed by water: the central atom (Si, Sn, Pb) has vacant d-orbitals in its valence shell, so it can expand its coordination number and accept the lone pair of oxygen from water, then lose HCl (e.g. \(\mathrm{SiCl_4 + 4H_2O \rightarrow Si(OH)_4 + 4HCl}\)).
Carbon, a second-period element, has no d-orbitals (maximum covalency 4) and is also small and surrounded by four large Cl atoms, so water cannot attack it. \(\mathrm{CCl_4}\) is therefore not hydrolysed.
Answer: (4) \(\mathrm{CCl_4}\)
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