N,N-diethyl-m-tolumide (DEET)is the active ingredient in many mosquito repellents.What is the hybridization state of the nitrogen atom in the structure of DEET shown below?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nitrogen atom in DEET has three groups attached to it (two ethyl groups and one tolyl group) and one lone pair of electrons. This means that it has a total of four electron groups around it. The electron geometry around the nitrogen atom is therefore tetrahedral. The lone pair of electrons takes up more space than the ethyl and tolyl groups, so it is in a position to be in an sp3 hybrid orbital while the three attached groups are in standard p orbitals. Overall, this gives the nitrogen atom an sp3 hybridization state. Therefore the correct answer is C: sp³.

N,N-Diethyl-M-Tolumide (DEET)is the Active Ingredient in Many Mosquito Repellents