Crystal-field complex

Distribution of electrons in the d orbitals weak and strong crystal-field complexes. The distribution of electrons in an atom is influenced by two factors (I) the tendency for electrons to resist pairing (Hund s... 

For transition metal complexes, techniques derived from a crystal-field theory or ligand-field theory description of the molecules have been created. These tend to be more often qualitative than quantitative. 

Transition metals readily form complexes, such as [Fe(CN)6], the ferrocyanide ion, Ni(CO)4, nickel tetracarbonyl, and [CuC ], the copper tetrachloride ion. MO theory applied to such species has tended to be developed independently. It is for this reason that the terms crystal field theory and ligand field theory have arisen which tend to disguise the fact that they are both aspects of MO theory. 

The arc and spark spectra of the individual lanthanides are exceedingly complex. Thousands of emission lines are observed. For the trivalent rare-earth ions in soUds, the absorption spectra are much better understood. However, the crystal fields of the neighboring atoms remove the degeneracy of some states and several levels exist where only one did before. Many of these crystal field levels exist very close to a base level. As the soUd is heated, a number of the lower levels become occupied. Some physical properties of rare-earth metals are thus very sensitive to temperature (7). 

E. Basolo and R. G. Pearson, Mechanisms of Inorganic Reactions, 2nd ed., John Wiley Sons, Inc., New York, 1967. An excellent volume that stresses the reactions of complexes ia solution a background and a detailed theory section is iacluded that is largely crystal field theory, but some advantages and disadvantages of molecular orbital theory are iacluded. 

Data for some typical complexes are given in Table 26.5. The assignments are made, producing values of the inter-electronic repulsion parameter B as well as of the crystal-field splitting, 0Dq. 

It is relevant to note at this point that, because the metal ions are isoelcctronic, the spectra of low-spin Fe complexes might be expected to be similar to those of low-spin Co ". However, Fe" requires a much stronger crystal field to effect spin-pairing and the ligands which provide such a field also give rise to low-energy charge-transfer bands which almost always obscure the d-d bands. Nevertheless, the spectrum of the pale-yellow [Fe(CN)f,] shows a shoulder at... 

Tetrahedral complexes arc also common, being formed more readily with cobali(II) than with the cation of any other truly transitional element (i.e. excluding Zn ). This is consistent with the CFSEs of the two stereochemistries (Table 26.6). Quantitative comparisons between the values given for CFSE(oct) and CFSE(let) are not possible because of course tbc crystal field splittings, Ao and A, differ. Nor is the CFSE by any means the most important factor in determining the stability of a complex. Nevertheless, where other factors are comparable, it can have a decisive effect and it is apparent that no configuration is more favourable than d to the adoption of a tetrahedral as opposed to... 

In view of the magnitude of crystal-field effects it is not surprising that the spectra of actinide ions are sensitive to the latter s environment and, in contrast to the lanthanides, may change drastically from one compound to another. Unfortunately, because of the complexity of the spectra and the low symmetry of many of the complexes, spectra are not easily used as a means of deducing stereochemistry except when used as fingerprints for comparison with spectra of previously characterized compounds. However, the dependence on ligand concentration of the positions and intensities, especially of the charge-transfer bands, can profitably be used to estimate stability constants. 

From the color (absorption spectrum) of a complex ion, it is sometimes possible to deduce the value of AOJ the crystal field splitting energy. The situation is particularly simple in 22Ti3+, which contains only one 3d electron. Consider, for example, the Ti(H20)63+ ion, which has an intense purple color. This ion absorbs at 510 nm, in the green region. The... 

Crystal field aspects of the vibrational spectra of metal complexes. D. A. Thornton, Coord. Chem. Rev., 1984,55,113-149 (66). 

There are two major theories of bonding in d-metal complexes. Crystal field theory was first devised to explain the colors of solids, particularly ruby, which owes its color to Cr3+ ions, and then adapted to individual complexes. Crystal field theory is simple to apply and enables us to make useful predictions with very little labor. However, it does not account for all the properties of complexes. A more sophisticated approach, ligand field theory (Section 16.12), is based on molecular orbital theory. 

FIGURE 16.24 In the crystal field theory of complexes, the lone pairs of electrons that serve as the Lewis base sites on the ligands (a) are treated as equivalent to point negative charges (b). 

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