Textbook 9C.1 Naming Question

[Jolie Sukonik 2B]

Why is [CO(CN)5(OH2)]2- named aqua-penta-cyano-cobaltate(III) ion?
Is (OH2) just another way of writing H2O, so the ligand is aqua?

[connie ma 3G]

yes OH2 is just H2O (im pretty sure at least). I dont know why they write it like that but I assumed it is water because of the "aqua" part in the name.

[Jayasree Peri 2J]

I think they write it that way because it's the O in water that does the binding with the other molecules.

[Nina Ellefsen 2D]

I believe it's just written that way rather than as H2O to show that the oxygen is the part of the molecule that's binding to other molecules rather than the hydrogen.

[Irene Nguyen 2J]

OH2 and H2O are the same things! In the textbook, it mentions that water as a ligand is denoted as OH2 to emphasize the fact that O links to a metal atom in a coordination compound.