Forms of Complex Life - Coordination Number and Shape

2 Forms of Complex Life - Coordination Number and Shape 

Molecules are certainly more varied than life forms. Even carbon-based compounds can be considered as unlimited in number, despite the fact that they almost exclusively involve four bonds around each carbon centre in a very limited number of shapes. When we move to coordination compounds, the range of coordination numbers and shapes is expanded considerably, so that coordination complexes live up to their name - they are inherently complex molecular forms. Fortunately, we can identify a number of basic shapes and even some system that governs outcomes - that is, there is some predictive aspect to shape in coordination complexes. We shall examine complexes from the perspective of coordination number below. 

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