system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Is there any element that can form 8 or more covalent bonds?

Or is the maximum permissible bonds seven like in IF7?
gpt
IF7 is not covalent in nature.
Iodine is extremely loosely bonded to its valence electrons and would easily shift the electronic cloud density towards an aggressive electronegative element like F.

IF7 is somewhat polar in nature, ( FAJAN'S RULE OF BONDING ).

Having 7 covalent bonds would mean having seven valence electrons in your valence shell. Bigger elements like bromine can make such bonds with extremely electropositive compounds but then again the bonding nature will tend towards polar.