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 ----> CO32-
OH- + SO2 ----> SO32-
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+