Ligands

[Melissa Solis 1H]

Hey,

Can someone explain what a ligand is and how to identify one? I'm pretty lost on the whole concept of ligand.

Thanks :)

[Nika Gladkov 1A]

A ligand is just a molecule that forms a coordinate covalent bond, or donates both of its electrons, with something. In this unit, all of our ligands form coordinate covalent bonds with transition metals. They donate both of their electrons to the transition metal, thus bonding with it. Therefore, when you do your problems, you can just look and see which molecules are not the transitional metal but are bonded to it--those are the ligands. For example, for [Zn(NH3)4)]2+, the NH3 is the ligand.

Hope this helps!

[Wil Chai 3D]

An important characteristic of a ligand that I think of often is the fact that it's electron rich. Consequently, it'll (always?) have a lone pair. Another way conceptually to think about it is that a ligand is the same thing as a lewis base, because it donates an electron pair.

[Isabel_Eslabon_2G]

Ligands are ions/molecules that form coordinate covalent bonds by donating both electrons involved in the covalent bond. Because it donates electron pair(s), if you draw out the Lewis structure, it should have lone electron pairs. It is also generally a nonmetal in a coordination compound.

[Chudi Onyedika 3A]

Ligands are Lewis bases that donate a lone pair each to form a coordination compound with a transition metal.

[David Liu 1E]

a ligand is just a lewis base (donates electrons) to a metal usually to form a coordinate compound

[Keshav Patel 14B 2B]

A ligand is anything that bonds to a coordinate covalent compound. Ligands always have a spare electron pair which allows them to bind and form a compound. Some ligands can be bidentate or tridentate meaning they have 2 electron pair donors or three.