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Related Concept Videos

Valence Bond Theory02:42

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...
Valence Bond Theory02:45

Valence Bond Theory

Overview of Valence Bond Theory
Colors and Magnetism03:02

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.
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes02:46

Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes

Tetrahedral Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Fluorination and Iodination of Benzene01:13

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Bromination and chlorination of aromatic rings by electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions are easily achieved, but fluorination and iodination are difficult to achieve. Fluorine is so reactive that its reaction with benzene is difficult to control, resulting in poor yields of monofluoroaromatic products. To address this, Selectfluor reagent is used as a fluorine source in which a fluorine atom is bonded to a positively charged nitrogen.
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes02:58

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...

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Tungsten(VI) and tungsten(V) fluoride complexes.

Said El-Kurdi1, Abdal-Azim Al-Terkawi, Bernd M Schmidt

  • 1Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Fabeckstrasse 34-36, 14195 Berlin, Germany.

Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|November 18, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Tungsten hexafluoride (WF(6)) reacts with phosphine ligands to form new compounds with distinct coordination geometries. Single-crystal structure determinations reveal capped trigonal prismatic and capped octahedral structures for WF(6) complexes.

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Area of Science:

  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Organometallic Chemistry
  • Crystallography

Background:

  • Tungsten hexafluoride (WF(6)) is a volatile inorganic compound with potential for forming coordination complexes.
  • Phosphines are a versatile class of ligands in organometallic chemistry, capable of coordinating to metal centers.
  • Understanding the structural diversity of WF(6) complexes is crucial for exploring their chemical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the reaction products of WF(6) with different phosphine ligands.
  • To determine the coordination geometry around the tungsten atom in the resulting compounds.
  • To characterize novel tungsten-phosphine complexes using crystallographic methods.

Main Methods:

  • Reaction of WF(6) with trimethylphosphine (P(CH(3))(3)) and (methyl)(phenyl)phosphine (P(CH(3))(2)C(6)H(5)).
  • Reaction of a fluorinated tungsten complex with triphenylphosphine (P(C(6)H(5))(3)).
  • Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis to determine molecular structures and unit cell parameters.

Main Results:

  • The reaction of WF(6) with P(CH(3))(3) yielded a 1:1 compound with a capped trigonal prismatic coordination around tungsten.
  • The reaction of WF(6) with P(CH(3))(2)C(6)H(5) resulted in a 1:1 compound exhibiting a capped octahedral coordination.
  • A stable, green, molecular species, [(CF(3)CH(2))(2)N--WF(4)--P(C(6)H(5))(3)], was synthesized and structurally characterized.

Conclusions:

  • The coordination geometry around tungsten in WF(6) complexes is influenced by the nature of the phosphine ligand.
  • Single-crystal structure determination is a powerful tool for elucidating the structures of novel inorganic compounds.
  • New tungsten-phosphine complexes with unique structural motifs have been successfully synthesized and characterized.