Polydentates

[veeksha25]

For carbonato, why is the molecule a bidentate and not a tetradentate even though there are four oxygens with lone pairs available for bonding?

[Reem Abu-Shamma 2H]

Carbonato does have 4 oxygen atoms with lone pairs but only 2 of them are attached to the C with single bonds. The single bonds allow the ligand to rotate and adjust around the transition metal to form coordinate bonds. The remaining 2 oxygens bind to the Carbon with double bonds and therefore don't have that flexibility and ability to interact with the TM, so carbonato is a bidentate (only 2 of the oxygens have single bonds).
Hope this helps!

[KelseyKobayashi_2M]

Will we have to just memorize the number of lesser known ligands of the list in the course reader (ex. ethylenediamine, oxalato, etc.)?

[Jeannie_Kim_1I]

I'm pretty sure we will need to know all of the ligands on that one page in the course reader.

[swatiperepa]

Does the name sulfato refer to both (SO4)2- and (OSO3)2-? I know for (NO2)2- there is a different name when the O is bonding to the transition metal instead of the N. Is sulfate like that as well?