MediumChemistryHigh School (11–12)Coordination Compounds › Isomerism in Coordination CompoundsConceptualA-LevelIBJEE Main
Here are five complexes, with ox for the bidentate oxalate ion…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Here are five complexes, with ox for the bidentate oxalate ion.
- trans-
- cis-
- square planar
- mer-
Which of them are optically active, and how many are there?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
A complex is chiral when it has no plane of symmetry. Stereoisomers = geometrical isomers + mirror-image pairs. The observed rotation of a mixture is the rotation of the pure (+) form times the excess of one form, divided by 100 percent.
The worked solution
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Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Plan. Test each complex for a plane of symmetry.
(a) Three oxalate rings make a propeller. There is no plane of symmetry. It is chiral.
(b) The four oxygen atoms of the rings lie in one plane, and that plane is a plane of symmetry. Not chiral.
(c) With the two water molecules cis, there is no plane of symmetry. It is chiral.
(d) A square planar complex lies in one plane, which is a plane of symmetry. Not chiral.
(e) The type is never chiral. The mer isomer has a plane of symmetry. Not chiral.
Answer: (a) and (c) are optically active, so complexes.
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