Skip to content

Coordination Compounds Complete Guide for Class 12 Board Exam

Coordination Compounds - Core Concepts for Class 12 Chemistry

What are Coordination Compounds?

  • Lewis Acid and Base Concept: Central metal atom acts as a Lewis acid (accepts electron pairs) while ligands act as Lewis bases (donate electron pairs)
  • Coordinate Bond: A bond formed by complete transfer of one or more electron pairs from ligand to central atom
  • Transition Metals: Form coordination compounds readily due to vacant d-orbitals and small effective nuclear charge (high charge-to-size ratio)

Important Terminology

Denticity

  • Unidentate: Ligand binds through a single donor atom (forms one coordinate bond)
    • Examples: Cl⁻, NH₃, H₂O
  • Bidentate: Ligand binds through two donor atoms
    • Example: Ethylene diamine (en)
  • Polydentate: Ligand binds through multiple donor atoms
    • Example: EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetate) - forms 6 coordinate bonds

Chelation

  • When a polydentate ligand binds through 2+ donor atoms forming a ring structure
  • Forms stable chelate complexes

Coordination Number Calculation

  • Formula: Coordination number = (Number of ligands × Denticity)
  • Example: [PtCl₂(en)₂] → (2 × 1) + (2 × 2) = 6
  • Important: Coordination number ≠ Number of ligands

Werner's Coordination Theory

| Property | Primary Valency | Secondary Valency | |----------|-----------------|-------------------| | Concept | Oxidation state | Coordination number | | Satisfied by | Negative ions | Neutral molecules or negative ions | | Nature | Non-directional, ionizable | Directional, fixed geometry |

Example: [Co(NH₃)₆]Cl₃

  • Primary valency: +3 (oxidation state of Co)
  • Secondary valency: 6 (coordination number)

Limitations of Werner's Theory

  • Couldn't explain electronic configuration of metals in complexes
  • Failed to explain color of coordination compounds
  • Couldn't explain magnetic properties properly
  • Did not explain directional nature of bonds

Valence Bond Theory (VBT)

Key Points

  1. Hybridization: Metal uses hybridized orbitals with vacant d-orbitals
  2. Coordinate Bond Formation: Hybrid orbitals overlap with ligand orbitals that donate electron pairs
  3. Inner vs Outer Orbital Complexes:
    • Inner: Uses (n-1)d orbitals (low spin)
    • Outer: Uses nd orbitals (high spin)

Determining Geometry and Unpaired Electrons

Example 1: [CoF₆]³⁻

  • Co³⁺: 3d⁶ configuration
  • F⁻ is weak field ligand → high spin
  • Hybridization: sp³d² (outer orbital)
  • Unpaired electrons: 4
  • Geometry: Octahedral

Example 2: [Ni(CN)₄]²⁻

  • Ni²⁺: 3d⁸
  • CN⁻ is strong field ligand
  • Hybridization: dsp² (square planar)
  • Unpaired electrons: 0 → Diamagnetic

Limitations of VBT

  • No quantitative interpretation of magnetic data
  • Cannot explain color of complexes
  • Doesn't explain thermodynamic/kinetic stability
  • Cannot distinguish between weak and strong field ligands

Crystal Field Theory (CFT)

d-Orbital Splitting in Octahedral Field

  • d-orbitals split into two sets:
    • t₂g (lower energy): dxy, dyz, dxz
    • e_g (higher energy): dx²-y², dz²
  • Splitting pattern:
    • t₂g: Lower by 2/5 Δ₀
    • e_g: Higher by 3/5 Δ₀

For a more detailed explanation of d-orbital splitting with easy tricks, see Crystal Field Theory Explained: Super Easy Trick for Octahedral & Tetrahedral Complexes.

Spectrochemical Series

Weak field → Strong field

I⁻ < Br⁻ < Cl⁻ < F⁻ < OH⁻ < H₂O < NH₃ < en < NO₂⁻ < CN⁻ < CO

Factors Affecting Crystal Field Splitting (Δ)

  1. Nature of metal ion: Δ ∝ Principal quantum number (3d < 4d < 5d)
  2. Oxidation state: Higher oxidation state → Larger Δ
  3. Nature of ligand: Strong field → Large Δ

Magnetic Properties

Spin-only Magnetic Moment Formula

μ = √[n(n+2)] BM

where n = number of unpaired electrons

Example: Co²⁺ (3d⁷)

  • Unpaired electrons: 3
  • μ = √[3(3+2)] = √15 = 3.87 BM

Isomerism in Coordination Compounds

Structural Isomerism

  1. Linkage Isomerism: Ligand can coordinate through different atoms (e.g., NO₂⁻ vs ONO⁻)
  2. Coordination Isomerism: Exchange of ligands between cation and anion
  3. Hydrate Isomerism: Different number of water molecules directly bonded

Stereoisomerism

  1. Geometrical Isomerism:

    • Square planar: [MA₂B₂] shows cis-trans isomerism
    • Octahedral: Various possible arrangements
  2. Optical Isomerism:

    • Non-superimposable mirror images
    • Requires asymmetric molecular structure
    • Square planar complexes generally don't show optical isomerism

Applications of Coordination Compounds

  1. Extraction of Metals:

    • Silver and gold extraction using cyanide complexes
    • Nickel purification via carbonyl complex
  2. Medicinal Uses:

    • Chelating agents for heavy metal poisoning (e.g., EDTA)
  3. Analytical Chemistry:

    • Qualitative and quantitative analysis
    • Detection of metal ions
  4. Industrial Applications:

    • Commercial coloring agents (e.g., Prussian blue)
    • Catalysts in chemical reactions

Important Questions for Board Exam

Q1: Calculate coordination number and oxidation state of Pt in [PtCl₂(en)₂]

  • Coordination number: 2(Cl) + 2(en × 2 denticity) = 6
  • Oxidation state: x + (-1 × 2) + 0 = 0 → x = +2

Q2: Why is [Ni(CN)₄]²⁻ diamagnetic while [Ni(H₂O)₆]²⁺ is paramagnetic?

  • Ni²⁺: 3d⁸
  • [Ni(CN)₄]²⁻: CN⁻ is strong field → dsp² hybridization → 0 unpaired electrons → Diamagnetic
  • [Ni(H₂O)₆]²⁺: H₂O is weak field → sp³d² hybridization → 2 unpaired electrons → Paramagnetic

Q3: Write hybridization and number of unpaired electrons in [CoF₆]³⁻

  • Hybridization: sp³d²
  • Unpaired electrons: 4

For a complete revision of related topics like solutions, electrochemistry, and chemical kinetics, check out the CBSE Class 12 Chemistry: Full Revision of Solutions, Electrochemistry & Chemical Kinetics guide.

Keep this summary

Save it to LunaNotes and it becomes a real note in your library — editable, searchable, and ready to turn into flashcards or a diagram. Free to start.

Save to LunaNotes

Or summarise for another video.

32K+ people have turned 65K+ videos into notes

“Very useful tool. I'm using it for the last couple weeks and I'm loving it so far. Makes learning on YouTube a great experience.”
Bhai Chrome Web Store review

This summary and transcript were automatically generated using AI with the Free YouTube transcript summary tool by LunaNotes.

Related summaries

Coordination Compounds | Class 12 Chemistry Full Chapter Summary

Coordination Compounds | Class 12 Chemistry Full Chapter Summary

This video provides a comprehensive overview of coordination compounds for Class 12 board exams. It covers key concepts including Werner's theory, valence bond theory, crystal field theory, and isomerism, along with important calculations for oxidation states, coordination numbers, and magnetic moments.

CBSE Class 12 Chemistry: Full Revision of Solutions, Electrochemistry & Chemical Kinetics

CBSE Class 12 Chemistry: Full Revision of Solutions, Electrochemistry & Chemical Kinetics

This comprehensive revision session covers three crucial numerical-based chapters: Solutions, Electrochemistry, and Chemical Kinetics. The instructor motivates students after the Physics exam to focus on Chemistry, covering key formulas, concepts (like Kohlrausch's Law, Nernst Equation, and Rate Laws), and important exam questions from NCERT Exemplar and Previous Year Questions.

Molecular Orbital Theory: Best Bonding Model Explained Simply

Molecular Orbital Theory: Best Bonding Model Explained Simply

Molecular Orbital (MO) Theory provides the most accurate description of chemical bonding, explaining why H₂ exists but He₂ does not, and why O₂ is magnetic. This lesson breaks down MO diagrams, bond order calculations, and paramagnetism for homonuclear diatomic molecules in a clear, step-by-step format.

How to Write Electron Configurations for Ions: Transition Metal Tips

How to Write Electron Configurations for Ions: Transition Metal Tips

Learn to write electron configurations for ions by understanding which electrons are removed or added. This tutorial covers main group and transition metal ions, explaining how to handle the 4s and 3d orbitals correctly for accurate results.

Crystal Field Theory Explained: Super Easy Trick for Octahedral & Tetrahedral Complexes

Crystal Field Theory Explained: Super Easy Trick for Octahedral & Tetrahedral Complexes

Master Crystal Field Theory (CFT) with a simple, visual trick. Learn how ligands split d-orbital energy levels in coordination compounds, understand high-spin vs. low-spin complexes, and determine electronic configurations effortlessly.

Found this summary useful?

Take it with you. One click puts it in your own LunaNotes library.

Save to LunaNotes

Start taking better notes today with LunaNotes