Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Formation of Complex Ions

Formation of Complex Ions

A type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules like H2O or NH3, or ions such as CN− or OH−. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom. These types of Lewis acid-base reactions are examples of a broad subdiscipline called coordination...

Valence Bond Theory

Valence Bond Theory

Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...

Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes

Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes

Crystal Field Theory
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...

Colors and Magnetism

Colors and Magnetism

Color in Coordination Complexes
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.

Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect

Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect

In complexation reactions, metal atoms or cations interact with ligands to form donor-acceptor adducts called metal complexes. Ligands that bind through one donor site are monodentate, ligands with two donor sites are bidentate, and those with more than two donor sites are polydentate ligands. For example, ethylene diamine is a bidentate ligand that binds through two nitrogen donor atoms, forming a five-membered ring. EDTA is a polydentate ligand that binds through four oxygen and two nitrogen...

Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes

Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes

In complexation reactions, metal cations are the electron pair acceptors, and the ligands are the electron pair donors. The stability of the metal complexes depends primarily on the complexing ability of the central metal ion and the nature of the ligands. Generally, the complexing ability of the metal ion depends on the size and charge of the ion. As the metal ion size increases, the stability of the metal complexes decreases, provided that the valency of the metal ion and the ligands remain...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Mythical compounds.

Acta crystallographica. Section C, Structural chemistry·2023

Same author

Mild, Selective Sulfoxidation with Molybdenum(VI) <i>cis</i>-Dioxo Catalysts.

ACS omega·2019

Same author

Nickel Complexes of C-Substituted Cyclams and Their Activity for CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sup>+</sup> Reduction.

ACS omega·2019

Same author

Synthesis, Luminescence, and Structure of a Polymorphic Polyfluorinated Diiodoplatinum(II) Diimine Complex.

Inorganic chemistry·2019

Same author

A reduction series of neodymium supported by pyridine(diimine) ligands.

Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)·2019

Same author

Oxidation Pathways Involving a Sulfide-Endcapped Donor-Acceptor-Donor π-Conjugated Molecule and Antimony(V) Chloride.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2019

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

[(DPEPhos)(bcp)Cu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

[(DPEPhos)(bcp)Cu]PF₆: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: May 21, 2019

Simple Cu(I) complexes with unprecedented excited-state lifetimes.

Douglas G Cuttell¹, Shan-Ming Kuang, Phillip E Fanwick

¹Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 1393 Brown Building,West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1393, USA.

Journal of the American Chemical Society

|January 5, 2002

Summary

New copper(I) complexes with bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl] ether ligands show long-lived, high quantum yield emissions in solution. These findings are significant for developing advanced luminescent materials.

More Related Videos

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Published on: September 7, 2019

Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks

Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks

Published on: June 9, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

[(DPEPhos)(bcp)Cu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

[(DPEPhos)(bcp)Cu]PF₆: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: May 21, 2019

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Published on: September 7, 2019

Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks

Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks

Published on: June 9, 2023

Area of Science:

Inorganic Chemistry
Materials Science
Photochemistry

Background:

Copper(I) complexes are known for their luminescent properties.
Developing stable and efficient emitters in fluid solution remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize and characterize novel copper(I) complexes.
To investigate their photophysical properties, focusing on emission lifetime and quantum yield.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of [Cu(NN)(POP)]+ complexes where NN = phen, dmp, or dbp.
Characterization using X-ray crystallography and cyclic voltammetry.
Photophysical measurements in solution, including emission quantum yield and excited-state lifetime determination.

Main Results:

Successfully synthesized readily accessible copper(I) complexes.
Pseudotetrahedral coordination geometry confirmed.
High emission quantum yields (0.15-0.16) and long excited-state lifetimes (14.3-16.1 µs) observed in dichloromethane.
Significant emission lifetimes (2.4-5.4 µs) retained in methanol, a coordinating solvent.

Conclusions:

The new copper(I) complexes exhibit robust luminescence in fluid solution.
These complexes demonstrate potential for applications in luminescence-based technologies.
The stability of emission in coordinating solvents broadens their applicability.