Chelating complexes

[Xinyue Zou 2K]

How do you determine which ligands can form chelating complexes? What would you look for in like a Lewis structure or model?

[Jessica Tam 3H]

Hi,
To determine if a ligand can form chelating complexes, you normally have a lone pair atom, spacer atom, spacer atom, and then another lone pair atom in a molecule. It's easier to see if you draw out the Lewis structure. There is an example that Professor Lavelle went over in lecture when discussing this topic.

[Maxwell Yao]

A Chelating ligand is a ligand which is mostly attached to a central metal ion by bonds that are from two or more donor atoms.

A good way to identify them is by looking at the structure of the ligand. For example, Ethylenediamine (en) has the formula NH2CH2CH2NH2. We know that the two nitrogen atoms have lone pairs and it's clear that they follow the rule Jessica mentioned above. Lone pair - spacer atom - spacer atom - lone pair.

Other notable examples of chelating complexes are Diethylenetriamine, the oxalate ion, and EDTA.

Hope this helps.

[Xinyue Zou 2K]

A Chelating ligand is a ligand which is mostly attached to a central metal ion by bonds that are from two or more donor atoms.

A good way to identify them is by looking at the structure of the ligand. For example, Ethylenediamine (en) has the formula NH2CH2CH2NH2. We know that the two nitrogen atoms have lone pairs and it's clear that they follow the rule Jessica mentioned above. Lone pair - spacer atom - spacer atom - lone pair.

Other notable examples of chelating complexes are Diethylenetriamine, the oxalate ion, and EDTA.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for helping out! Could you explain what a spacer atom is? Is it the carbons that the N is bonded to?