Question

Explain the following term with respect to a coordination compound:

Ligands

Answer 1

1. Ligands are atoms, ions, or molecules that donate a pair of electrons to a central metal atom or ion to form a coordinate bond in coordination compounds.
2. They act as Lewis bases and stabilize the metal center. Ligands can be neutral (like NH₃, H₂O) or charged (like Cl⁻, CN⁻), and can attach through one or more donor atoms (monodentate, bidentate, polydentate).
3. For example, in the complex K[Fe(CN)₆], ions are ligands because they get directly attached to the central Fe²⁺ ion during the formation of this complex.