Naming Complex Ions and Coordination Compounds

The nomenclature of compounds containing complex ions is more involved than that of the simple inorganic compounds considered in earlier chapters. We will see first how complex ions are named and then look at the nomenclature of coordination compounds. 

The names of anions that act as ligands are obtained by substituting -o for the normal ending. Examples include 

The number of ligands of a particular type is ordinarily indicated by the Greek prefixes di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa. Thus we have 

If the name of the hgand is itself complex (e.g. ethylenediamine), the number of such hgands is indicated by the prefixes bis, tris, tetrakis, pentakis, hexakis. The name of the hgand is enclosed in parentheses. 

When several types of ligand are present, they are named in alphabetical order (without regard to prefixes)  

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Section 19.2 New section on naming complex ions and coordination compounds (expanded Appendix 5 in 6e)... 

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