Study Unit 3 - 3 - 2 Types of Ligands and Coordination Number
Study Unit 3 - 3 - 2 Types of Ligands and Coordination Number
coordination number
NCHE321
Study Unit 3
Outcomes of lecture
• Learn and be able to identify the different types of ligands in
coordination compound.
• NH3, CN-, CO
• Can be a charged or neutral molecule.
• Coordinate using one electron pair
Bidentate ligands
Tridentate ligands
Quadridentate ligands
Pentadentate ligands
Macrocylclic amine ligands
Macrocyclic polyethers ligands
Some common ligands
Practice
• State the type of the following ligands:
1. triethylenetetraamine N(CH2CH2NH2)3
2. For a specific cation- and anion radius the CN will be limited to a maximum
• A small cation can accommodate few large anions
Coordination number (CN) and
structure cont.
3. A more polarisable ligand will transfer more charge to the metal than a hard ligand
• CN will decrease
• However, if the ligand accept electrons back through back donation from the metal
the CN will increase
4. Availability of empty d orbitals could create the possibility that more ligand electrons
could be donated
• CN increases
CN 2
• Rare
• Triangular planar [HgI3]-
• Trigonal pyramidal [SnCl3]-
• Usually in complexes with very big ligands
CN 4
• Very common
• Tetrahedral complexes
• (d0 and d10): MnO4-, CrO42-, Ni(CO)4 and Cu(py)4+
• (d5): MnCl42-
• (d7): CoCl42-
CN 4 cont.
• d1- to d9-metals
• examples VO(acac)2 and Fe(CO)5
• Octahedral structure
most general structural for transitional metal complex
• d0 to d10
• Octahedral distortions
little energy
CN 6 cont.
b
L3 L3 L3 L3
M M M M M
1 L2 L2 L1 L2 L2
L
a
L1 L1
ML1 = ML2 ML1 ML2 = ML3 ML1 ML2 ML2 ab
= ML3
CN 7
• Rare
• No structure with high symmetry
• Pentagonal pyramidal, covered octagon and the covered trigonal
prismatic structure
CN 8