COORDINATION

COMPOUNDS
isomerism theories
basics &
nomenclature
 ISOMERISM
same formula - diff. arrangements

Structural
SIMPLY CONCISE
Isomerism Isomerism
Stereo

same formula same formula

diff. bonds same bonds
diff. arrangements
 STRUCTURAL ISOMERISM
1) Ionization Isomerism - arises when the counter ion in a complex
salt is itself a potential ligand and can displace a ligand which can
then become the counter ion.
[Co(NH₃)₅Br]SO₄ [Co(NH₃)₅Br]²⁺ + SO₄²⁻

SIMPLY CONCISE
[Co(NH₃)₅SO₄]Br [Co(NH₃)₅SO₄]⁺ + Br⁻

2) Hydration Isomerism - isomers differ by whether or not a water

molecule is directly bonded to the metal ion or merely present as
free solvent molecules.
[Cr(H₂O)₆]Cl₃ & [Cr(H₂O)₅Cl]Cl₂.H₂O
 STRUCTURAL ISOMERISM
3) Linkage Isomerism - arises in a coordination compound
containing ambidentate ligand.
[Co(NH₃)₅NO₂]Cl₂ & [Co(NH₃)₅ONO]Cl₂

SIMPLY CONCISE
4) Coordination isomerism - arises from the interchange of ligands
between cationic and anionic entities of different metal ions
present in a complex.
[Co(NH₃)₆][Cr(CN)₆] & [Cr(NH₃)₆][Co(CN)₆]
 STEREOISOMERISM
1) Geometric Isomerism - arises in heteroleptic complexes due to
different possible geometric arrangements of the ligands.

CN - 2 & 3 => No GI
CN - 4 -> tetrahedral => No GI

SIMPLY CONCISE
square planar => various cases
Ma₄ => No GI
Ma₃b => No GI
Ma₂b₂ => 2 GIs Mabcd => 3 GIs M(ab)₂ => 2 GIs
a b b a a b a b a d a a a b

M M M M M M M
a b a b d c c d c b b b b a
cis trans trans cis cis cis trans
(named wrt a & c)
 STEREOISOMERISM
1) Geometric Isomerism - arises in heteroleptic complexes due to
different possible geometric arrangements of the ligands.

CN - 6 => various cases

Ma₆ => No GI
Ma₅b => No GI
Ma₄b₂ => 2 GIs SIMPLY CONCISE
Ma₄bc => 2 GIs Ma₃b₃ => 2 GIs
b a b a b a
a a a b a a a b b a a b
M M M M M M
a a a b a a a c a a a b
b a c a b b
trans cis trans cis mer fac

Ma₂b₂c₂ => 5 GIs Mabcdef => 15 GIs

 STEREOISOMERISM
2) Optical isomerism - isomers that exists as non superimposable
mirror images of each other.

b b no sym. a a plane of sym.

∴ ∴
SIMPLY CONCISE
2 OI same
M M M M
a b b a a b b a
a a a a
dextro laevo

a a no sym. b b plane of sym.

a
M
a a
M
a
∴ 2 OI
b
M
a a
M
b
∴ same
a a a a a a a a
a a b b
dextro laevo
 ANSWER IN COMMENT
Q1) Which of the following has optical isomers:
a) [Co(H₂O)₄(en)]³⁺ b) [Co(en)₂(NH₃)₂]³⁺
c) [Co(NH₃)₃Cl]⁺ d) [Co((en)NH₃)₂]²⁺

SIMPLY CONCISE
Q2) These two are : identical / GI / OI

a en
a
en M en M
a
a en