Question

Name a ligand which is bidentate and give an example of the complex formed by this ligand.

Answer 1

A common bidentate ligand is ethylenediamine (en). It has two nitrogen atoms, each with a lone pair of electrons, allowing it to form two coordinate bonds with a metal ion.

Example of a complex: [Ni(en)₃]²⁺

This is called tris(ethylenediamine)nickel(II) ion, where three ethylenediamine ligands chelate the nickel ion, forming a stable complex with a coordination number of 6.