Synthesis Reactions

These reactions typically involve the direct combination of elements, or compounds.

Elements

Metal and a nonmetal;

Fairly predictable based on the periodic table, but watch out for alkali metals and oxygen reactions.

Nonmetal and a nonmetal;

Fairly predictable using ones chemical inituition for common covalent compounds. But these kinds of reactions can get complicated very quickly. I would use my common knowledge of know stable binary compounds of nonmetals; H₂O, CO₂, NO₂, SO₂, PCl₃, NH₃, HX (X is a halogen), P₄O₆ or P₄O₁₀.

Compounds

Metal oxide and a nonmetal oxide

Some examples include;

MO + CO₂ ----> MCO₃

MO + SO₂ ----> MSO₃

MO + SO₃ ----> MSO₄

Metal hydroxide and a nometal oxide

Some examples include;

OH^- + CO₂ ----> CO₃^2-

OH^- + SO₂ ----> SO₃^2-

Typically the metal hydroxide is soluble as well as the carbonate or sulfite formed...i'.e., Group IA elements.

Lewis acid base reaction

Some examples include;

Al(OH)₃ + OH^- ----> Al(OH)₄^-

NH₃ + BH₃ ----> H₃N:BH₃

4NH₃ + Cu²⁺ ----> Cu(NH₃)₄²⁺