Rationalise the given statements and give chemical reactions:
(a) Lead (II) chloride reacts with Cl2 to give PbCl4.
(b) Lead (IV) chloride is highly unstable towards heat.
(c) Lead is known not to form an iodide PbI4.
(i) This is because lead is more stable in +2 oxidation state than in +4 oxidation state due to inert pair effect. Therefore lead (II) chloride is more stable than lead (IV) chloride and hence lead (II) chloride does not react with chlorine to form lead (IV) chloride.
(ii) Since lead in +2 oxidation state is more stable than +4 oxidation state, due to inert pair effect, therefore lead (IV) chloride on heating changes to lead (II) chloride and Cl2.
(iii) Due to the oxidation power of Pb4+ ion and reducing the power of I– ion, PbI4 does not exist.
