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Coordination Chemistry

Discussion Questions

Coordination Chemistry

Coordination chemistry is the study of compounds formed between metal ions and other neutral or negatively charged molecules such as [Co(NH2CH2CH2NH2)2ClNH3]2+ Cl22-. In this formulation, Co(NH2CH2CH2NH2)2ClNH3]2+ is known as a metal complex, which is a charged species consisting of metal ion bonded to one or more groups of molecules. The bonded molecules are called ligand. The little picture shown here depicts a structure of a 6-coordinated complex.

A common metal complex is Ag(NH3)2+, formed when Ag+ ions are mixed with neutral ammonia molecules.
      Ag+ + 2 NH3 -> Ag(NH3)2+
A complex Ag(S2O3)23- is formed between silver ions and negative thiosulfate ions:
      Ag+ + 2 S2O32- -> Ag(S2O3)23-

Metal complexes are also called coordination compounds. Their structures are important data and properties. Compounds having the same chemical formula but different structures are called isomers. Isomers with different geometic arrangements of ligands are called geometric isomers whereas isomers whose structures are mirror images of each other are called optical isomers. When a beam of polarized light passes optical isomers or their solutions, the plane of polarization rotates in different directions. The beam rotates to the left for one isomer, and right for its mirror image.

How did the study of coordination compounds started?

The coordination chemistry was pioneered by Nobel Prize winner Alfred Werner (1866-1919). He received the Nobel Prize in 1913 for his coordination theory of transition metal-amine complexes. At the start of the 20th century, inorganic chemistry was not a prominant field until Werner studied the metal-amine complexes such as [Co(NH3)6Cl3].

Werner recognized the existence of several forms of cobalt-ammonia chloride. These compounds have different color and other characteristics. The chemical formula has three chloride ions per mole, but the number of chloride ions that precipitate with Ag+ ions per formula is not always three. He thought only ionized chloride ions will form precipitate with silver ion. In the following table, the number below the Ionized Cl- is the number of ionized chloride ions per formula. To distinguish ionized chloride from the coordinated chloride, Werner formulated the Complex formula and explained structure of the cobalt complexes (See page 241 of Inorganic Chemistry by Swaddle).

Proposed Structure of Cobalt Amonia Complexes from Number of Ionized Chloride
SolidColorIonized Cl-Complex formula
CoCl36NH3Yellow3[Co(NH3)6]Cl3
CoCl35NH3Purple2[Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2
CoCl34NH3Green1trans-[Co(NH3)4Cl2]Cl
CoCl34NH3Violet1cis-[Co(NH3)4Cl2]Cl
The structures of the complexes were proposed based on a coordination sphere of 6. The 6 ligands can be amonia molecules or chloride ions. Two different structures were proposed for the last two compounds, the trans compound has two chloride ions on opposit vertices of an octahedral, whereas the the two chloride ions are adjacent to each other in the cis compound. The cis and trans compounds are known as geometric isomers.

Other cobalt complexes studied by Werner are also interesting. It has been predicted that the complex Co(NH2CH2CH2NH2)2ClNH3]2+ should exist in two forms, which are mirror images of each other. Werner isolated solids of the two forms, and structural studies confirmed his interpretations. The ligand NH2CH2CH2NH2 is ethylenediamine (en) often represented by en.

Example 1

Sketch the structures of isomers Co(en)33+ complex ion to show that they are mirror images of each other.

Solution
The images are shown on page 242 Inorganic Chemistry by Swaddle. If the triangular face of the end-amino group lie on the paper, you can draw lines to represent the en bidentate ligand. These lines will show that the two images are similar to the left-hand and right-hand screws.

From the description above, sketch the structures.

Discussion
Answer these questions:

How are coordination compounds named?

Structures of coordination compounds can be very complicated, and their names long because the ligands may already have long names. Knowing the rules of nomenclature not only enable you to understand what the complex is, but also let you give appropriate names to them.

Often, several groups of the ligand are involved in a complex. The number of ligand molecules per complex is indicated by a Greek prefix: mono-, di- (or bis), tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa, hepta-, octa-, nona-, (ennea-), deca- etc for 1, 2, 3, ... 10 etc. If the names of ligands already have one of these prefixes, the names are placed in parentheses. The prefices for the number of ligands become bis-, tris-, tetrakis, pentakis- etc.

For neutral ligands, their names are not changed, except the following few:

H2O, aqua
NH3, ammine (not two m's, amine is for organic compounds)
CO, carbonyl
NO, nitrosyl
 Normal names that will not change
C5H5N, pyradine
NH2CH2CH2NH2, ethylenediamine
C5H4N-C5H4N, dipyridyl
P(C6H5)3, triphenylphosphine
NH2CH2CH2NHCH2CH2NH2, diethylenetriamine
 The last "e" in names of negative ions are changed to "o" in names of complexes. Sometimes "ide" is changed to "o". Note the following: Cl-, chloride -> chloro
OH-, hydroxide -> hydroxo
O2-, oxide -> oxo
O2- peroxide, -> peroxo
CN-, cyanide -> cyano

N3-, azide -> axido
N3-, nitride -> nitrido
NH2-, amide -> amido
CO32-, carbonate -> carbonato
-ONO2-, nitrate -> nitrato (when bonded through O)
-NO3-, nitrate -> nitro (when bonded through N)
S2-, sulfide -> sulfido
SCN-, thiocyanate -> thiocyanato-S
NCS-, thiocyanate -> thiocyanato-N
-(CH2-N(CH2COO-)2)2, ethylenediaminetetraacetato (EDTA)

The names of complexes start with the ligands, the anionic ones first, followed with neutral ligands and the metal. If the complex is negative, the name ends with "ate". At the very end are some Roman numerals representing the oxidation state of the metal.

To give and remember all rules of nomenclature are hard to do. Pay attention to the names whenever you encounter any complexes is the way to learn.

[Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2, Chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride
[Cr(H2O)4Cl2]Cl, Dichlorotetraaquochromium(III) chloride
K[PtCl3NH3], Potassiumtrichloroammineplatinate(II)
PtCl2(NH3)2, Dichlorodiammineplatinum
Co(en)3Cl3, tris(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III)chloride
Ni(PF3)4, tetrakis(phosphorus(III)fluoride)nickel(0)

A bridgin ligand is indicated by placing a m- before its name. The m- should be repeated for every bridging ligand. For example,

(H3N)3Co(OH)3Co(NH3)3, Triamminecobalt(III)-m-trihydroxotriamminecobalt(III)

Example 2

Give the structural formula for chlorotriphenylphosphinepalladium(II)- m-dichlorochlorotriphenylphosphinepalladium(II).

Solution
The structure is 

(C6H5)3P    Cl    Cl
        \  /  \  /
         Pd    Pd
        /  \  /  \
      Cl    Cl    P(C6H5)3

Discussion
Answer the following questions:

Example 3

Name the complex: 
        NH        
(en)2Co<  >Co(en)2 Cl3
        OH

Solution
The name is Bis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III)-m- imido-m-hydroxobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) ion.

Discussion
When this compound dissolves in water, is the solution a conductor? What are the ions present in the solution of this compound? How many moles of chloride ions are present per mole of the compound?

When potassiumtrichloroammineplatinate(II) dissolves in water, what ions are produced? What about chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride?

How the number of isomers be used to determine the structure of a coordination compound?

Before modern structure determination methods were developed, the study of complexes were mostly done by chmical methods and deduction. The fact that CoCl2(NH3)4Cl has only two isomer suggests that

Reading Material

Example 1

Solution

dE = 99 (J/min) * 60 (min/hr) = 5940 J / hr

Discussion

Confidence Building Questions

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