CHM 207 SIXTH LECTURE (FINAL)

BY DR FAMOJURO)

TRANSITION METALS
Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn

Transition metals are called the d-block element in the periodic table. One of the major

characteristics is that they possess variable oxidation states. This is due to the fact that they

have an incompletely filled d-orbitals. Their properties are transitional between the highly

reactive metallic elements and the elements of the p- block of the periodic table. The below

depicts first transition metals series with their common oxidation states.

Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn
II II II II II II II II II II
III III III III III III III III III
IV IV IV IV IV IV IV
V V V V V
VI VI VI
VII

Transition metals can receive electron-pairs from electron-donating species called Ligands,

thereby forming coordination complexes.

Properties of Transition Metals

(i) Colour

Many ionic and covalent compounds for transition elemets are coloured due to electronic

transition in the incompletely filled d-orbital. The electrons absorb light energy, move from

one energy level to another energy level of the d-orbitals.

(ii) Coordination Complexes Formation

Transition metals have the tendency to form coordination compounds with Lewis bases or

Ligands. Lewis bases are compounds which are able to donate electrons, while Transition

metals are called Lewis acid because they accept electrons. Transition metals are able to form

complexes easily because they have small, highly-charged ions and possess vacant low energy

d-orbitals, which are used to accept lone pairs of electrons from Ligands or Lewis Bases.

(ii) Magnetic Properties

When a substance is placed in a magnetic field of strength H, it could either be attracted or

repelled by the external field H and the induced magnetic field could either aligned in the same

or opposite direction to H. If the substance is attracted that means, the induced internal

magnetic field are aligned in the direction of H, then the substance is Paramagnetic. However,

if the substance is repelled and induced internal field will be in opposite direction to H, then

the substance is Diamagnetic.

Paramagnetism occurs majorly in transition metal complexes with unpaired electrons, while

diamagnetism is observed for complexes that possesses paired electrons. Many compounds

of transition elements are paramagnetic because they contain partially-filled d-orbitals.

Magnetism (µs) of these complexes could be determined by estimating the number of unpaired

electrons and inputting into the next equation:

µs = √n(n+2) µB

where n = number of unpaired electrons,

µB is the unit Bohr magneton