Determine the Charge on Ligands

[Hannah Guo 3D]

How do we determine the charge on ligands? I know we are supposed to draw the Lewis structure first, but then how can we go from that?

[Catherine Yang 3G]

I was under the impression that a single ligand always has the same charge. For example, the CN anion has a -1 charge. The charge on the transition metals can vary based on the overall charge of the coordination complex and the lewis structure.

[RaviAmin1H]

We can also see how much the charge is by determining the charges of all the atoms that are not part of the ligand. So if for Co(NH3)5Cl is the ligand and it is bonded to Cl then we know Cl is Cl- with negative 1 charge and this makes the ligand positive 1 charge.

[Clement Ng]

You would determine the charge on coordination compounds by comparing the charges of the ligands, which are given in a table on professor Lavelle's website. The charge of the metal/central atom can be given by the name of the compound. (ex: (IV)) By combining all the charges of the central atom and the charges of the ligands, you can find the overall charge of the compound.

On a test, you would have to memorize the individual charges of ligands from the table.

If you are trying to find the charge of the metal atom, you would compare the overall charge of the entire compound and the ligand charges to find the charge of the metal atom.

[AtreyiMitra2L]

On ligands, you have to memorize the charges that were given on the list on his site.

https://lavelle.chem.ucla.edu/wp-conten ... pounds.pdf