An introduction to coordination compounds - Low coordination number

3 important questions on An introduction to coordination compounds - Low coordination number

What factors influence the coordination number of a metal complex?

-The size of a central atom or ion
- Steric interactions between ligands 
-Electronic interactions between the central atom or ion and the ligands.

What causes a high coordination number of atoms?

- Large radii of atoms and ions in the later periods favour higher coordination numbers
-  High coordination numbers are often found on the left of a period, where the ions have larger radii
- They are especially common when the metal ion has only a few electrons, because a small number of valence electrons means that the metal ion can accept more electrons from the lewis base.

What factors result in a low coordination number?

Bulky ligands often result in low coordination numbers, especially if the ligands are also charged.
- Lower coordination numbers are found on the right of the d block, particularly if the ions are rich in electrons as they are less able to accept additional electrons.

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