DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

LABORATORY REPORT
SKT 1013: INTRODUCTION TO INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Semester 2 Sessions 2017/2018

ID NUMBER AND NAME 1. SYAHRIZAT BINTI ZAINAL

(E20161014047)

2. DAYANG NOORAMINAH BINTI

ABD RAHMAN
(E20161014045)
C
GROUP

LECTURER PROF. DR. MUSTAFFA BIN AHMAD

EXPERIMENT NO. 2

TITLE A STUDY OF COPPER(II) COMPLEXES

WITH DIFFERENT LIGANDS

DATE 15 NOV 2017

INTRODUCTION

A complex ion has a metal ion at its center with a number of other molecules or ions
surrounding it. These can be considered to be attached to the central ion by co-ordinate as a
dative covalent bonds. In some cases, the bonding is actually more complicated than that.
Ligands can be anions, cations or neutral molecules. Ligands can be further characterized as
monodentate, bidentate and tridentate. A monodentate ligand has only one donor atom used
to bond to the central metal atom or ion.

There are many types of ligands which is monodenate ligand, bidentate ligand and
polydentate ligands. The term "monodentate" can be translated as "one tooth," which
referring to the ligand binding to the center through only one atom. Some examples of
monodentate ligands are chloride ions, referred to as chloro when it is a ligand, water,
referred to as aqua when it is a ligand, hydroxide ions, referred to as hydroxo when it is a
ligand and ammonia, referred to as ammine when it is a ligand.

Bidentate ligands have two donor atoms which allow them to bind to a central metal
atom or ion at two points. Common examples of bidentate ligands are ethylenediamine and
the oxalate ion. Polydentate ligands range in the number of atoms used to bond to a central
metal atom or ion. EDTA, a hexadentate ligand, is an example of a polydentate ligand that
has six donor atoms with electron pairs that can be used to bond to a central metal atom or
ion.

A metal ion in solution does not exist in isolation but in combination with ligands such as
solvent molecules or simple ions or chelating groups, giving rise to complex ions or
coordination compounds. These complexes contain a central atom or ion, often a transition
metal and a cluster of ions or neutral molecules surrounding it. Ligands are ions or neutral
molecules that bond to a central metal atom or ion. Ligands act as Lewis bases, electron pair
donors and the central atom acid, electron pair acceptor. Ligands have at least one donor
atom with an electron pair used to form covalent bonds with the central atom.

OBJECTIVE

To observe a various colour change in a complex ion due to ligand substitution

REAGENTS

Copper sulphate, CuSO4 0.025M

Concentrated ammonia solution (NH3)

Concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl)

Ethylenediamine (en)

Ethyldiaminetetraacetate (EDTA)

Potassium cyanate, KCN 1M

APPARATUS

Conical flask (250 ml)

Pipette

Dropper

Boiling tube

PROCEDURE

1. 5 mL of 0.025 M CuSO4 was placed in each of six test tubes.

2. 5 mL of hydrochloric acid (HCl) was added in the first test tube.
3. 5 mL of ammonia was added in the second test tube.
4. 5 mL of ethylenediamine was added in the third test tube.
5. 5 mL of EDTA was added in the fourth test tube.
6. 5 mL of 1M KCN was added in the fifth test tube.
7. The colour change in each test tube were compared with the colour of solution in test
tube which contained only CuSO4.
RESULT

Figure 1: Result for Various Colour Change in a Complex Ion

Table 1: Result for Various Colour Change in a Complex Ion

Test Tube Observation

1 Bright Yellow in Hot Condition
2 Blue with White Precipitate
3 Purple
4 Light Blue
5 Light Orange
6 Pale Yellow

DISCUSSION

The test tube 1, the order of reactivity was the first and most reactive that burns
quickly with a bright yellow in hot condition has occurred. This is because of the
concentrated of HCl. Concentrated hydrochloric acid is used as the source of chloride ions
because it provides a very high concentration compared to what is possible with sodium
chloride solution. Concentrated hydrochloric acid has a chloride ion concentration of
approximately 10 mol dm-3. The high chloride ion concentration pushes the position of the
equilibrium to the right according to Le Chatelier's Principle. The copper ion, Cu2+, in
aqueous solution, forms a blue complex ion, [Cu(OH2)6]2+, with 5 water molecules. The blue
complex is the cause of the blue colour of copper sulfate solution. Concentrated hydrochloric
acid has a high concentration of chloride ions, which are better ligands than water because
they are negatively charged ions and are attracted electronically to the copper ion, Cu2+. The
addition of the concentrated hydrochloric acid drop by drop to the pale blue copper sulfate
solution will turn bright yellow as the chloride ion ligands, Cl-, replace water in the complex
ion. The four chloride ions replace the 5 water molecules in the blue complex ion to form the
bright yellow [CuCl4]2- complex ion, So the number of ligands around the copper ion has
dropped from 6 to 4.

For the test tube 2, the water molecules get replaced by ammonia. The difference in
this time is that the reaction isn't so complete. The precipitate has to be left to stand in the
presence of excess concentrated ammonia solution for some time in order to get the ammine
complex that still get left with some unreacted precipitate that blue with white precipitate.
Ammonia solution can react with hexaaqua metal ions in two quite distinct ways because it
can act as a base as well as a ligand. When small amount of ammonia solution was added to
get precipitates of the metal hydroxide. The ammonia is acting as a base. In some cases, these
precipitates redissolve when more ammonia was added to give solutions in which a ligand
exchange reaction has occurred.

The third test tube when 5 mL ethylenediamine is added to CuSO4 solution the
interesting results are obtained. At high concentrations the complex is dark blue. However, at
lower concentrations the complex is purple.

Then, test tube 4 that add 5 ml of EDTA. Metals and ligands form co-ordination
bonds, co-ordination complex with both electrons coming from the ligand. The ligands have a
lone pair of electrons. Metals do not have enough electrons to form covalent bonds by sharing
one electron from the metal ion with one electron from the bonded atom. When EDTA was
added drop by drop, the solution’s colour turn to light blue.

From empirical observation, For test tube 1, the solution absorbs light from the light
violet end of the spectrum and this mixture of colours is seen by the eyes as bright yellow.
For test tube 2, the solution absorbs light from the orange end of the spectrum and this
mixture of colours is seen by the eyes as blue. For test tube 3, the solution absorbs light from
the yellow end of the spectrum and this mixture of colours is seen by the eyes as purple. For
test tube 4, the solution absorbs light from the light orange end of the spectrum and this
mixture of colours is seen by the eyes as light blue. For test tube 5, the solution absorbs light
from the light blue end of the spectrum and this mixture of colours is seen by the eyes as light
orange and for the last test tube, the solution absorbs light from the light purple end of the
spectrum and this mixture of colours is seen by the eyes as pale yellow.

CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, a prepared nickel (II) complex was analysed via spectrophotometric

methods. The colours exhibited are intimately related to the magnitude of the spacing
between these levels. Since this spacing depends on factors such as the geometry of the
complex, the nature of the ligands and the oxidation state of the central metal atom, variation
on colours can often be explained by looking carefully at the complexes concerned. Test tube
2 absorbs light from orange which cause its ∆ large while test tube 1 and 6 absorb light from
light purple which cause their ∆ small.

REFERENCE

A. Book

1. T.W. Swaddle. 1997. Inorganic Chemistry: An Industrial and Environmental

Perspective. Academic Press. Page 241-244.

2. P. A. Cox. 2004. Inorganic Chemistry – Second Edition. BIOS Scientific Publishers.

Page 211-214.

3. Gary L. Miessler, Donald A. Tarr. Inorganic Chemistry – Third Edition. Pearson

Education, Inc. Page 304-307.

B. Internet

1. Jim Clark. 2003. An Introduction to Complex Metal Ions.

https://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/complexions/whatis.html

(Retrieved date: 28 November 2017)

2. Jim Clark. 2003. Complex Metal Ions - Ligand Exchange Reactions.

https://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/complexions/ligandexch.html

(Retrieved date: 28 November 2017)

3. Lanthanum K. 2012. Ammine Complexes.

http://lanthanumkchemistry.over-blog.com/article-ammine-complexes-
103803570.html

(Retrieved date: 28 November 2017)