Berrylium Bonding: Covalent vs. Ionic in Conductive Compounds

[Vals509]

What sort of substances does berrylium form a covalent bond and with which substances is it ionic.

i know that berrylium usually does form covalnt bonds, but sometimes i find it being referred to as an Be2+ ion. Also many berrylium compounds are good conductors of electricity such as berrylium chloride and this makes it sound ionic.

So when is ionic and when is it covalent?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[songoku]

Berrylium is metal thus it can form positive ion by releasing its two valence electrons. That's why we can find a Be2+ ion. Its compound is basically ionic. Ionic compound is formed when there is a cation and an anion. Unfortunately, Be is a very small atom with high dense electron cloud, thus it has a great polarizing power. It is supposed to release its electrons completely to form a perfect ionic bond, but it attracts the electron cloud of the anion caused by its great polarizing power. Then the compound is still an ionic compound but with high covalent character. I read this in a book once, hopefully it can help..

 

[Hockeystar]

Be is a weird element. It hybridizes to make 2 sp orbitzals thus it doesn't satisfy the octec rule.