MediumChemistryHigh School (11–12)Coordination Compounds › Isomerism in Coordination CompoundsNumericalA-LevelIBJEE Main
Only two forms of [Pt(NH₃)₂Cl₂] have ever been made…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Only two forms of have ever been made. How many forms would you expect if the four ligands were at the corners of a tetrahedron? How many if they were at the corners of a square, with platinum in the middle? What does the result tell you?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Cis ligands are apart and trans ligands apart. Tetrahedral complexes have no geometrical isomers. Octahedral has fac and mer forms. To count the isomers of a monodentate octahedral complex, write the ligands as three trans pairs and count the different sets. The net dipole of two bonds with dipole at an angle is .
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
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.
Step 1. Tetrahedral. Every corner is next to every other corner. The two chloride ligands can only be neighbours. There is arrangement.
Step 2. Square planar. The chloride ligands can be next to each other (cis) or on opposite corners (trans). That makes arrangements.
Step 3. Compare. Two forms are found, so the shape cannot be tetrahedral.
Answer: if tetrahedral, if square planar. The complex is square planar.
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