Metal complexes electronic configuration

Formation of coordination complexes is typical of transition metals, but other metals also form complexes. The tendency to form complexes is a function of the metal s electron configuration and the nature of its outer electron orbitals. Metal cations can be classified into types A and B based on their coordination characteristics, as shown in Table 3.5. A-type cations, which tend to be from the left side of the Periodic Table, have the inert-gas type electron configuration with largely empty d-orbitals. They can be imagined as having electron sheaths not easily deformed under the influence of the electric fields around neighbouring ions. B-type cations have a more readily deformable electron sheath. 

Thus, for theoretical calculations of the sarcophaginate and sepulchrate structures, one should take into account inter- and intramolecular nonbonded interactions and electronic effects. The calculations based on geometric and/or repulsion models are obviously justified only for complexes with insufficient or no preference for TAP or TP structure (ALFSE = 0). In this case, the ligand determines the complex geometry. In all other cases, the contribution of the metal ion electronic configuration cannot be neglected [178],... 

Polyatomic molecules cover such a wide range of different types that it is not possible here to discuss the MOs and electron configurations of more than a very few. The molecules that we shall discuss are those of the general type AFI2, where A is a first-row element, formaldehyde (FI2CO), benzene and some regular octahedral transition metal complexes. 

In general, octahedral complexes of transition-metal ions possessing 0, 1, or 2 electrons beyond the electronic configuration of the preceding noble gas, ie, i/, (P configurations, are labile. The (P systems are usually inert the relative lability of vanadium(II) may be charge and/or redox related. 

With an atomic number of 28, nickel has the electron configuration [Ar]45 34f (ten valence electrons). The 18-electron rule is satisfied by adding to these ten the eight electrons from four carbon monoxide ligands. A useful point to remember about the 18-electron rule when we discuss some reactions of transition-metal complexes is that if the number is less than 18, the metal is considered coordinatively unsaturated and can accept additional ligands. 

The situation in beryllium metal is more complex. We might expect all of the 2s molecular orbitals to be filled because beryllium has the electron configuration ls22s2. However, in a crystal of beryllium, the 2p MO band overlaps the 2s (Figure 5). This means that, once again, there are vacant MOs that differ only infinitesimally in energy from filled MOs below them. This is indeed the basic requirement for electron conductivity it is characteristic of all metals, including lithium and beryllium. 

Use the spectrochemical series to predict the effect of a ligand on the color, electron configuration, and magnetic properties of a d-metal complex (Examples 16.4 and 16.5). 

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