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Account for the following: a. the highest oxidation states usually occur with f as a ligand but the lowest oxidation states can occur with co as a ligand. b. [ni(nh3)6]2+ is less stable than [ni(en)3]2+
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a. Fluorine is the most electronegative element, making it highly effective at stabilizing high oxidation states in metals. Its strong electron-withdrawing ability helps to compensate for the positive charge on the metal ion. Conversely, CO is a strong pi-acceptor ligand, capable of back-donating electron density to the metal. This back-donation stabilizes low oxidation states by reducing the electron density on the metal center.
b. The stability of the complexes can be attributed to the chelate effect. The bidentate ligand, ethylenediamine (en), forms two coordinate bonds with the metal ion, while ammonia (NH3) forms only one coordinate bond. The chelate effect arises from the increased entropy gain associated with the formation of a chelate complex, leading to greater stability compared to a monodentate complex.
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