Coordination Compounds and Ionic Bonds

[Megan Singer 3D]

Since forming a coordination compound involves a ligand donating a pair of electrons to a metal cation, would the bond between a ligand and the metal be considered an ionic bond?

Also, how would this relate to Cl- as a ligand for Na. In this case isn't the Cl donating an electron to the Na? How would that work considering that a NaCl ionic bond usually involves the Na giving up an e- to the Cl.

[Jeffrey Hablewitz 2I]

The bond between a ligand and a TM in a coordination compound is a coordinate covalent bond. Coordinate covalent bonds form when a lewis base donates a pair of electrons to a lewis acid. Unlike an ionic bond, the electrons are shared between the two atoms and the bond is often very polar. Remember that coordination compounds form between ligands and transition metals. Because sodium isn't a transition metal, it can't from a coordination compound. NaCl is just a normal ionic compound when an electron from Na completely transfers to Cl. Hope this helps!

[Manseej Khatri 2B]

Hi. When a ligand "donates" a pair of electrons to a transition metal, the ligand is still sharing those electrons with the transition metal making it a coordinate covalent bond, which is still a covalent bond. With NaCl, the attraction is more electrostatic than it is a sharing of electrons as the positive charge of the cation attracts to the negative charge of the anion.