Which of the following acts as both Bronsted acid and Lewis acid? (a) \(\mathrm{Cu}^{+2}\) (b) \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\) (c) \(\mathrm{Fe}^{+3}\) (d) \(\mathrm{NH}_{4}{ }^{+}\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
a) Cu²⁺ b) SO₂ c) Fe³⁺ d) NH₄⁺ Answer: None of the given options acts as both a Bronsted acid and a Lewis acid.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the concept of Bronsted acid and Lewis acid

A Bronsted acid is a substance that can donate protons (H+ ions) to another substance, while a Lewis acid is a substance that can accept an electron pair from a Lewis base. To find a substance that acts as both Bronsted and Lewis acid, we need to examine their chemical structure and reactivity.
02

Analyzing option (a) \(\mathrm{Cu}^{+2}\)

Cu²⁺ is a copper ion with a charge of +2. This ion has empty d-orbitals that can accept an electron pair, but it does not possess any protons (H+ ions) to donate. So, it can act as a Lewis acid, but not as a Bronsted acid.
03

Analyzing option (b) \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\)

SO₂ is a molecule comprised of one sulfur atom and two oxygen atoms. In normal circumstances, it does not have any protons to donate, and also it has sulfur-oxygen double bond which does not accept electrons as it forms sulfur-oxygen single bond on accepting a lone pair, so it doesn't act as a Bronsted acid or a Lewis acid.
04

Analyzing option (c) \(\mathrm{Fe}^{+3}\)

Fe³⁺ is an iron ion with a charge of +3. This ion has empty d-orbitals that can accept an electron pair, but it does not possess any protons (H+ ions) to donate. So, it can act as a Lewis acid, but not as a Bronsted acid.
05

Analyzing option (d) \(\mathrm{NH}_{4}{ }^{+}\)

NH₄⁺ is an ammonium ion containing one nitrogen atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. NH₄⁺ has a positive charge and can donate a proton (H+ ion) to a base, so it can act as a Bronsted acid. However, NH₄⁺ does not have any empty orbitals to accept an electron pair, so it cannot act as a Lewis acid.
06

Conclusion

After analyzing all the given options, we can conclude that none of them acts as both a Bronsted acid and a Lewis acid.

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