Lewis Electron-Dot Structure for Chlorine Dioxide Ion (ClO2+)

Simple method for writing Lewis Dot Structures

of chlorine dioxide cation (ClO₂)⁺

A simple procedure for writing Lewis electron dot structures is given in a previous article entitled “Lewis Structures and the Octet Rule”. Several worked examples relevant to this procedure were given in previous posts please see the Sitemap - Table of Contents (Lewis Electron Dot Structures).

Another example  for writing Lewis structures following the above procedure is given below.

Let us consider the case of the Lewis dot structures of chlorine dioxide cation (ClO₂)⁺.

How can we draw the Lewis structures of (ClO₂)⁺?

 

Step 1: Connect the atoms with single bonds. Chlorine is the central atom.

 

Step 2: Calculate the # of electrons in π bonds (multiple bonds) using  formula (1) in the article entitled “Lewis Structures and the Octet Rule”. 

Where n in this case is 3 since (ClO₂)⁺ consists of three atoms.

Where V = (7 + 6 + 6 ) – 1 = 18  

Therefore, P = 6n + 2 – V = 6 * 3 + 2 – 18 = 2

So, there are 2 π electrons (pi electrons) in (ClO₂)⁺ and the structure in Step 1 has 1 double bond. 

So the structure of Step 1 is the Lewis structure.

Electrons are placed around each atom so that the octet rule is obeyed. Since Cl is a third row element can accommodate more than 8 electrons.

Step 3 & 4: The Lewis resonance structures of  ClO₂⁺   are as follows: