Fig.4.10 (a) Formation of sp hybrids from s and p orbitals; (b) Formation of the linear BeCl2 molecule
(II) sp2 hybridisation : In this hybridisation there is involvement of one s and two p-orbitals in order to form three equivalent sp2 hybridised orbitals. For example, in BCl3 molecule, the ground state electronic configuration of central boron atom is 1s22s22p1. In the excited state, one of the 2s electrons is promoted to vacant 2p orbital as a result boron has three unpaired electrons. These three orbitals (one 2s and two 2p) hybridise to form three sp2 hybrid orbitals. The three hybrid orbitals so formed are oriented in a trigonal planar arrangement and overlap with 2p orbitals of chlorine to form three B-Cl bonds. Therefore, in BCl3 (Fig. 4.11), the geometry is trigonal planar with ClBCl bond angle of 120°.