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6: Chemistry of Transition Metals

  • Page ID
    125412
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    Simple substances of transition metals have properties characteristic of metals, i.e. they are hard, good conductors of heat and electricity, and melt and evaporate at high temperatures. Although they are used widely as simple substances and alloys, we typically encounter only iron, nickel, copper, silver, gold, platinum, or titanium in everyday life. However, molecular complexes, organometallic compounds, and solid-state compounds such as oxides, sulfides, and halides of transition metals are used in the most active research areas in modern inorganic chemistry.

    • 6.1: Structures of Metal Complexes
      Transition elements are metallic elements that have incomplete d or f shells in the neutral or cationic states. They are called also transition metals and make up 56 of the 103 elements.  Although Sc and Y belong to the d-block, their properties are similar to those of lanthanoids. The chemistry of d-block and f-block elements differs considerably. This chapter describes the properties and chemistry of mainly d-block transition metals.
    • 6.2: Electronic Structure of Complexes (Part 1)
      It is necessary to learn a few concepts to understand the structure, spectrum, magnetism, and reactivity of complexes which depend on d electron configurations. In particular, the theory of electronic structure is important.
    • 6.3: Electronic Structure of Complexes (Part 2)
      The characteristics of transition metal-ligand bonds become clear by an analysis of the molecular orbitals of a 3d metal coordinated by six identical ligands in octahedral complexes [ML6]. As the result of the interaction between the metal d and ligand orbitals, bonding, non-bonding and anti-bonding complex molecular orbitals are formed.
    • 6.4: Organometallic Chemistry of d Block Metals (Part 1)
      According to the definition of an organometallic compound, at least one direct bond between a metal and a carbon atom should exist, but CN complexes etc. with no organometallic character are usually excluded from organometallic compounds. Metal carbonyl compounds are organometallic in various aspects of their bonding, structure and reactions, and they are a good model system for understanding of the essence of transition metal organometallic chemistry.
    • 6.5: Organometallic Chemistry of d Block Metals (Part 2)
    • 6.6: Reactions of Complexes


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