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Why would an octahedral transition complex with water as the ligand have a larger energy gap value than a complex with en as the ligand
Accepted Answer
An octahedral transition metal complex with en (ethylenediamine) as a ligand will generally have a larger energy gap (Δo) than a complex with water as a ligand. This is due to the chelate effect.
Ethylenediamine is a bidentate ligand, meaning it can bind to the metal ion at two points. This creates a more stable complex compared to water, which is a monodentate ligand. The increased stability arises from the entropic advantage of chelation, where the formation of a chelate ring releases more water molecules from the coordination sphere, increasing the entropy of the system. The stronger metal-ligand bond in the chelate complex leads to a larger splitting of the d-orbitals, resulting in a larger Δo value.
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