a -caacvisiulll--+ias TEST70 RAMRI Tn olden me enema eeannenemeeneenennennanne aan Co-ordination Compounds 39 (a) Size and charge of ligand. For charged ligands, the higher the charge and the smaller the size, the more stable the complex is formed. The F- ion, for example, forms more stable complexes than the larger Cl- ion. In case of negative ligands, the higher the charge and the smaller the size, the more stable would be the complex formed. Hence the stability of the complexes involving halide ions as ligands follows the order F-> Cl >Br> I In case of neutral ligands, the larger the permanent dipole moment, the greater would be the stability of the complex formed, e.g. the order of stability of the complexes formed by some neutral ligands is as follows. | Amine > Ethylamine > Diethylmine > Triethylamine (b) Basic character. The basicity of a ligand is an important factor because this depends on how casily it can donate electrons. A strong base is a good electron donor, and many common ligands, e.g, CN-, F- and NHs, are also bases. The formation of an acid and a complex have, indeed, something in common H* +base —> Acid; M* + ligand —> Complex The ligand which can donate its lone pairs of electrons more easily to the central metal ion is said to be more basic and hence it will form more stable complex. Thus strong bases like CN”, F and NH are good ligands and form stable complexes with more electropositive metals like Na, Ca, AL, Ln, Ti and Fe. (c) Steric effects : Large, bulky ligands form less stable complexes than similar smaller ones. The ethylene diamine complexes, for example, are more stable than those of the corresponding tetramethyl substituted derivatives (CH,);N . CH,CH,N (CHs)2 (@) Back bonding effect : The ligands which have back-bonding ability form quite stable complexes. Such ligands are CN, CO, NO>, C;H,, RsP, R3As, RsSb and R,Se . These form stronger es with the transition metals. (c) Orbital effect : The type and number of orbitals available on the donor atom may also decide the stability of complexes. ()) Extent of chelation : When metal ions (having co- ordination with molecules or ions which have got more than one point of attachment) form eyclic ring type of complexes called chelates, the stability of metal complexes increases. In other words, the formation of a chelate ring increases the stability of a complex over that of a comparable complex where chelation is not possible. For example, [Cu(en),]?* is more stable than [Cu(NH5),]?* NH3 NH2— CH2 Se | Hav—> Cu <—NHo cu wi "\ nite — Ste CHe— NH ‘CHp— NH2 NH3 ‘Complex hs In general, a chelated complex is more stable than a complex which is similar but non-chelated. The relatively high stability of the chelated complex over that of non-chelated complex can be readily judged by the high stability constants of zinc, cupric and nickel chelates of ethylenediamine ~ than that of the corresponding stability constants of the simple amines.