what is a ligand?

[Hannah_1G]

Can someone explain what a ligand is and what it does?

[Daniel Martinez 1k]

A ligand is a lewis base that donates a pair of electrons to the transition metal it is attached to.

[Ashley Osorio]

So ligands only exist when talking about transition metals?

[Hannah_1G]

In lecture, I'm pretty sure Lavelle said that CO was a ligand and I'm confused as to how that is so.

[Sjeffrey_1C]

A ligand forms a coordinate covalent bond with a transition metal cation, so I guess if CO did this it would be considered a ligand. A ligand is anything directly bound to the central atom.

[605208780]

A ligand is an ion or molecule attached to a metal atom and donates electrons.

[ranqiao1e]

Ligand is a Lewis base that can donate a pair of electrons. Note that Cl is not a Ligand but the electron-donating CL- is

[Rishika Yadav 3D]

A ligand is a neutral molecule or anion that donates an e- pair to form a coordinate covalent bond.