Given below are 22 tips to never miss a question on stereoisomerism in complexes.

NOTE- A and B refers to monodentate ligands.

AA refers to symmetrical bidentate ligand like en (ethylenediamine or ethane-1,2-

diamine), ox (oxalato) etc.

AB refers to unsymmetrical bidentate ligand like gly(glycinato) etc.

1.Tetrahedral complexes do not exhibit geometrical isomerism -

as all positions are equidistant or adjacent to each other. however, if all four
ligands are different then it exhibits optical isomerism.

2. Tetrahedral Be(acac)2 exhibits optical isomerism.

3. Square planar MA2B2 type has two geometrical isomers

(in cis form, similar groups occupy adjacent positions at angle 90 degree while in
trans form they occupy opposite positions at 180 degree) for example, Pt(NH3)2Cl2.

4. Square planar MA2BC type has a pair of cis-trans isomers.

5. Square planar MABCD type has three geometrical isomers,

depending upon the fact whether B, C or D is trans to A.

6. Square planar M(AB)2 type has two geometrical isomers

for example, Pt(Gly)2.

7. Tetrahedral M(AB)2 type has a pair of enantiomers.
8. Octahedral MA4B2 or MA4BC type has a pair of cis, trans isomers. [Cr(NH3)4Cl2]+,
[Co(H2O)4Cl2]+
9. MA3B3 type has a pair of fac, mer isomers.

Facial isomer has identical ligands and central metal atom are on same face of
octahedral.

Meridional isomer has identical ligands and central metal atom are on same plane.
10. Octahedral MA2B2C2 type has total five geometrical isomers. All cis-isomer is
optically active & exists as a pair of enantiomers.

11. M(AA)3 has a pair of cis-d & cis-l isomers. It�s trans form is not possible.

It exhibits optical isomerism but does not exhibit geometrical isomerism. (AA is
symmetrical bidentate ligand) Cr(en)3, [Co(Ox)3[3-
12. M(AB)3 has cis & trans isomers and both are optically active hence total four
isomers. It exhibits both optical isomerism and geometrical isomerism like in
Cr(gly)3.

13. M(AA)2B2 or M(AA)2BC has total three stereoisomers, cis-d, cis-l & trans. It
exhibits both geometrical & optical isomerism. Cr(en)2Cl2
14. M(AA)B2C2 has three geometrical isomers � two trans forms & one (all) cis-form.

M(AA)B2C2 has one pair of enantiomers. Cis-form is optically active. So, it has
total four stereoisomers.
15. M(acac)3 have a pair of enantiomers.
16. M(EDTA) have a pair of enantiomers. [Co(EDTA)]-
17. M(ABCDEF) has 15 geometrical isomers theoretically and all are supposed to be
optically active. M(ABCDEF) has a pair of enantiomers.
18. M(AA)B3C type has cis-trans isomers but no optical isomerism.
19. MA2B3C type has three geometrical isomers.

20. Cr(NH3)4ClBr]Br- has four isomers (including ionization isomers).

21. [Cr(NH3)4Br2]NO2- has four isomers (including Linkage isomers)
22. Square planar complexes do not exhibit optical isomerism due to presence of
plane of symmetry.