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Metal-Ligand Bonds

Metal-Ligand Bonds

The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...

Stereoisomerism

Stereoisomerism

Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...

Coordination Compounds and Nomenclature

Coordination Compounds and Nomenclature

In most main group element compounds, the valence electrons of the isolated atoms combine to form chemical bonds that satisfy the octet rule. For instance, the four valence electrons of carbon overlap with electrons from four hydrogen atoms to form CH4. The one valence electron leaves sodium and adds to the seven valence electrons of chlorine to form the ionic formula unit NaCl (Figure 1a). Transition metals do not normally bond in this fashion. They primarily form coordinate covalent bonds, a...

Coordination Number and Geometry

Coordination Number and Geometry

For transition metal complexes, the coordination number determines the geometry around the central metal ion. Table 1 compares coordination numbers to molecular geometry. The most common structures of the complexes in coordination compounds are octahedral, tetrahedral, and square planar.

Structural Isomerism

Structural Isomerism

Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly,...

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...

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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Synthesis of a Water-soluble Metal–Organic Complex Array

Synthesis of a Water-soluble Metal–Organic Complex Array

Published on: October 8, 2016

Two new coordination polymers, a trinuclear metal complex and their interconversion depending on the solvent.

Shiori Koike¹, Takeshi Hirakawa, Katsunori Yamanishi

¹Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, 422-8529 Japan.

Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)

|July 22, 2014

Summary

Researchers synthesized novel coordination polymers and a trinuclear complex. A unique, irreversible conversion between these structures was observed upon exposure to acetonitrile (MeCN).

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Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes

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Published on: November 21, 2017

Area of Science:

Coordination chemistry
Materials science
Supramolecular chemistry

Background:

Coordination polymers are versatile materials with tunable properties.
Discrete metal complexes offer unique structural motifs.
Understanding interconversion pathways is crucial for materials design.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize and characterize new coordination polymers and discrete metal complexes.
To investigate the structural relationship and potential interconversion between these compounds.
To explore the role of solvent in structural transformations.

Main Methods:

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction for structural determination.
Synthesis of novel coordination compounds.
Solvent-induced transformation studies.

Main Results:

Two new 1-D coordination polymers were successfully synthesized and characterized.
A discrete trinuclear complex featuring a double-ring framework was obtained.
An irreversible structural conversion from a 1-D polymer to the trinuclear complex upon exposure to acetonitrile (MeCN) was observed and documented.

Conclusions:

The study presents novel coordination architectures with potential for responsive materials.
The discovered MeCN-induced conversion highlights the dynamic nature of coordination compounds.
This work contributes to the understanding of structure-property relationships in coordination chemistry.