Question

Identify the one differentiating characteristics between Homoleptic complex and Heteroleptic complex.

Answer 1

The differentiating characteristic between homoleptic complexes and heteroleptic complexes lies in the nature of the ligands involved.

Homoleptic Complex:
In a homoleptic complex, all the ligands attached to the central metal ion are of the same type. This means that the complex consists entirely of one kind of ligand. For example, in the complex \([Ni(CO)_4]\), all the ligands are carbon monoxide (CO) molecules. This type of complex is typically formed when a central metal ion coordinates with several molecules or ions of the same ligand.

Example of Homoleptic Complex:
In \([Ni(CO)_4]\), the nickel ion (\(Ni^{0}\)) is surrounded by four carbon monoxide (CO) ligands. All of these ligands are identical, making it a homoleptic complex.

Heteroleptic Complex:
In a heteroleptic complex, different types of ligands are attached to the central metal ion. The ligands may vary in their chemical composition or coordination number. These complexes typically contain a mixture of various ligands, such as anions, neutral molecules, or a combination of both. The ligands in heteroleptic complexes can be of different types, making these complexes more versatile in their chemical interactions.

Example of Heteroleptic Complex:
In the complex \([Ni(CO)_2(en)_2]\), the nickel ion (\(Ni^{0}\)) is coordinated with two carbon monoxide (CO) ligands and two ethylenediamine (en) ligands. Here, CO and ethylenediamine are two different types of ligands, making this a heteroleptic complex.

Summary:
Therefore, the distinguishing characteristic between homoleptic and heteroleptic complexes is that homoleptic complexes have ligands of the same type, while heteroleptic complexes have different types of ligands.