4.2.2

Substitution Reactions (A2 Only)

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Substitution Reactions

The ligands of complex ions can be exchanged for other ligands. This is called a substitution reaction.

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Common ligands

  • Some common ligands are water, NH3, and Cl-.
    • NH3 and water are of a similar size and have no charge.
    • Chloride ions are larger and have a negative charge.
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Substitution reactions

  • Ligands can be exchanged.
    • A good example is the interconversion of [Cu(H2O)6]2+ and [Cu(NH3)6]2+
  • Substitution could also be incomplete.
    • E.g. [Cu(NH3)6]2+ to [Cu(NH3)4(H2O)2]2+
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Coordination number

  • The coordination number can change in a ligand substitution reaction.
    • This usually happens when substituting ligands of a different size.
    • E.g. [Co(H2O)6]2+ + 4Cl- → [CoCl4]2-
  • The coordination number does not change when substituting water for ammonia because they are of a similar size.

The Chelate Effect

Some ligands can form multiple dative bonds with transition metal ions. This leads to some important chemical reactions.

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Denticity

  • Denticity describes the number of dative bonds that can be formed with a transition metal by one ligand:
    • A ligand that can form two bonds is called bidentate.
    • A ligand that can form one bond is called monodentate.
    • A ligand that can form multiple bonds is called multidentate.
  • Some common bidentate and multidentate ligands are on the next slide.
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Multidentate ligands

  • Binding sites are labelled by red circles.
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The chelate effect

  • Multidentate ligands will almost always replace monodentate ligands at a metal centre. This is called the chelate effect.
    • The chelate effect is largely an entropic effect.
    • When you substitute a multidentate ligand for a monodentate ligand, you increase the number of moles of molecules in the products of the reaction.
    • This leads to a large increase in entropy and this brings the Gibbs free energy below zero for the change.
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Haem protein

  • The haem protein is found in red blood cells.
    • It has an iron(II) ion in the centre of a multidentate ligand.
    • In the lungs, oxygen binds to it as a ligand and can then be transported around the body by the protein.
    • In the body, the oxygen concentration is lower than in the lungs. So the dissociation of the oxygen is favoured.
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Carbon monoxide

  • When you inhale carbon monoxide, the CO can form a bond with the iron instead of oxygen.
  • CO forms an extremely strong bond with the iron. This will not break.
    • This means that the haem protein can no longer carry oxygen around the body.
    • This can starve the body of oxygen and cause death if enough is inhaled.
  • This is a ligand exchange reaction.

Jump to other topics

1Physical Chemistry

2Physical Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

3Inorganic Chemistry

4Inorganic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

5Organic Chemistry 1

6Organic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

6.1Optical Isomerism (A2 Only)

6.2Aldehydes & Ketones (A2 Only)

6.3Carboxylic Acids & Esters (A2 Only)

6.4Aromatic Chemistry (A2 Only)

6.5Amines (A2 Only)

6.6Polymers (A2 Only)

6.7Biological Organic (A2 Only)

6.8Organic Synthesis (A2 Only)

6.9NMR Spectroscopy (A2 Only)

6.10Chromatography (A2 Only)

6.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Organic 2

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