Mechanisms of ligand exchange reactions

in octahedral complexes
MLnX  +  Y MLnY  +  X

Dissociative (D) Associative (A)

MLn X  MLn Y MLn X  MLn Y

X MLn Y Y X
MLn XY

Interchange (I)
MLn X  MLn Y

Y X
[ML n]°

X Y
Ia if association Id if dissociation
is more important is more important
 Fast equilibrium
K1 = k1/k-1
Kinetics
of interchange reactions
k2 << k-1

For [Y] >> [ML5X]