Why is water always a monodentate?
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Why is water always a monodentate?
A ligand can use its lone pairs to bond in a coordination compound. Water has two lone pairs, why can't it be a bidentate? Can somebody explain that to me please?
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Re: Why is water always a monodentate?
Even though oxygen has two lone pairs, there would only be one binding site between water and the central metal because its bent shape prevents it from binding both of its lone pairs.
The lone pairs are both on the same atom (oxygen) and polydentate ligands form their bonds through lone pairs on different atoms.
The lone pairs are both on the same atom (oxygen) and polydentate ligands form their bonds through lone pairs on different atoms.
Last edited by Celine_Ngo_3L on Sun Nov 20, 2016 3:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why is water always a monodentate?
Both of the lone pairs are on the oxygen and oxygen binds only once to the central metal so it is mono dentate.
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