AX₅E Molecules: BrF₅

1. The central atom, bromine, has seven valence electrons, as does each fluorine, so the Lewis electron structure is

With its expanded valence, this species is an exception to the octet rule.

2. There are six electron groups around the Br, five bonding pairs and one lone pair. Placing five F atoms around Br while minimizing BP–BP and LP–BP repulsions gives the following structure:

3. With five bonding pairs and one lone pair, BrF₅ is designated as AX₅E; it has a total of six electron pairs. The BrF₅ structure has four fluorine atoms in a plane in an equatorial position and one fluorine atom and the lone pair of electrons in the axial positions. We expect all F_axial–Br–F_equatorial angles to be less than 90° because of the lone pair of electrons, which occupies more space than the bonding electron pairs.

4. With five nuclei surrounding the central atom, the molecular structure is based on an octahedron with a vertex missing. This molecular structure is square pyramidal. The F_axial–B–F_equatorial angles are 85.1°, less than 90° because of LP–BP repulsions.