Oxygen in a Polydentate Ligand

[Max Kaminsky [3L]]

Polydentate ligands are defined by their ability to bind to the central metal atom because they have multiple sites within their structure that can form a bond using a lone pair (kind of like a Lewis base). Oxygen is often found in compounds with two bonds (2 singles or 1 double) and 2 lone pairs. As such, could an oxygen atom in a ligand make 2 connections to the central atom? Could a ligand whose only lone pairs are found on 1 oxygen be bidentate?

[Vyas_Koduvayur_2B]

A regular oxygen atom cannot bind in 2 places because the definition of a bidentate ligand is that it must bond in 2 different locations AND 2 different atoms. So therefore, a single oxygen atom cannot bind in 2 different places to a ligand.