Transition metal chemistry Flashcards
oxidation states
[earlier transition metals]
+3 = more common than +2
= strongly reducing
[later transition metals]
+2 = more common than +3
+3 oxn state = strongly oxidising
trend in oxidation states
increasing 3rd and higher I.E. across series
d-orbitals become more core-like (closer to nucleus)
halides - stability of oxn states
decreases in order of F- > Cl- > Br- > I-
Ti(IV)
high covalent character
high charge density on metal (v. polarising)
TiCl4 = covalently bonded liquid + soluble in benzene
TiCl2 = ionic solid
thermodynamically unfavourable oxidation states
[intermediate = below line]
can still be observed (disproportionation reaction may be slow)
= kinetically stable
scandium
Sc3+ (d0)
colourless
strong Lewis acid
titanium
+4 (d0) - TiO3 2-, TiO 2+
not Ti4+ -> charge = so high (would pull hydrogens from water ligand - TiO2+)
strong Lewi acid
Ti3+ = strong reducing agent
No Ti2+ aq chem - TiCl2 reacts violently with water, reducing it to H2
vandium
VO4 3- at pH 14
VO2 + at pH 0
reduced to VO2+ (blue), V3+ (green) and V2+ (violet) - all stable rwt disproportionation
VO2+ = square planar
V2+ = strongly reducing and oxidised by air (needs to be kept in inert atmosphere)
chromium
Cr(IV) = powerful oxidising agent
Cr2O7 2- (orange) in acidic solutions
CrO4 2- (green) in alkaline solutions
Cr2O7 2- + 3H2O -> CrO4 2- + 2H3O+
Cr(III) d3 - high CFSE; kinetically inert
Cr(II) = strongly reducing
manganese
Mn(VII) = powerful oxidising agent
MnO4- = tetrahedral anion
intense colour due to M->L transfer band
Mn(III) = distorted octahedral due to J-T distortion
Mn(II) = v. pale (d->d = forbidden by all selection rules)
iron
Fe3+ + e- -> Fe2+
position of equilibrium + stability of oxn state determined by ligands
Fe3+ = acidic solutions - high charge on metal
equilibrium affects by pH
-Fe3+ stable at pH <2
Fe2+ + O2 + 4H3O+ -> 4Fe3+ + 6H2O (stable but slowly oxidises due to presence of dissolved oxygen)
strongly coloured - M->M transfer bands
cobalt
Co(III) = strong oxidising agent
LS complex - kinetically inert despite thermodynamic driving force
N-donor ligands (e.g. NH3) greatly stabilise Co3+ rwt reduction
Co(II) - colour depends on geometry
octahedral = pink
tetrahedral = intense blue
pale -> intense colour
no longer have centre of symmetry
pink -> blue
Δoct = smaller for tetrahedral compared to octahedral
nickel
Ni(II) = stable to oxidation + reduction
range of geometries (depends on counter ion)
copper
Cu2+ (cupric) and Cu+ (cuprous)
octahedral = distorted due to J-T effect
zinc
Zn2+
colourless (no d-d e- transition possible)
wide range of geometries
not really a transition metal - neither metal nor compound has partially filled d orbitals
transition metal triads - chromium, molybdenum + tungsten
CrO3 + [CrO4]2- = strong oxidising agents
WO and [WO4]2- = not readily reduced
high oxn states: 1st row < 2nd row < 3rd row
Mo(IV) and W(IV) = common
Mo(III) and W(III) = sparse
high coordination numbers possible for larger metals (1st row - ions not big enough)
transition metal triads - nickel, palladium + platinum
Ni and Pd = +2
Pt = +4
Pd + Pt = square planar (high Δoct)
M-M bonds and low oxn states (+1,0) = more important down group
why don’t t2g orbitals interact with any ligand orbitals?
don’t have correct symmetry
directed between axis
evidence for covalency
pairing energies have been shown to be lower in metal complexes than in gaseous Mn+ ions
indicates inter-electronic repulsion is less in complexes so effective size of metal orbitals has increased
= nephelauxetic effect
Lenz’s law (MD)
in absence of any magnetic moment (i.e. unpaired e-)
= induced magnetic field that opposes main field
=diamagnetism (MD)
*repelled by magnetic field
MP
if there’s a magnetic moment (unpaired e-) and moments don’t interact with each other, they align to give overall magnetic moment (MP)
*attracted to magnetic field
effect of metal on Δ - charge
as charge on M increases, Δ increases
[reason]
ionic radius decreases
∴ M-L decreases
greater interaction between M and L orbitals
increases energy of antibonding eg orbitals ∴ t2g-eg gap increases
effect of metal on Δ - going down group
Δ increases
[reason]
size of orbital increases
greater interaction between M and L orbitals
increases energy of antibonding eg orbitals ∴ t2g-eg gap increases
change in orbital size from 3d to 4d compared to 4d to 5d
bigger
due to lanthanoid contraction
why are 4d and 5d complexes low spin?
due to increasing orbital size and decrease in pairing energy
dipole moment of CO
0.40 Debye
how does CO coordinate to a metal centre ?
via δ+ carbon atom
σ-donation from filled orbital on CO to empty M d-orbital
π-donation from filled d-orbital on M to empty π* on CO = BACKBONDING
backbonding
π-donation from filled d-orbital on M to empty π* on CO