News tagged with ligands Related topics: cells , organic
molecules In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or
molecule (see also: functional group) that binds to a central
metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding between
metal and ligand generally involves formal donation of one or
more of the ligand's electron pairs. The nature of metal-ligand
bonding can range from covalent to ionic. Furthermore, the
metal-ligand bond order can range from one to three. Ligands are
viewed as Lewis bases, although rare cases are known involving
Lewis acidic "ligands." Metal and metalloids are bound to
ligands in virtually all circumstances, although gaseous "naked"
metal ions can be generated in high vacuum. Ligands in a complex
dictate the reactivity of the central atom, including ligand
substitution rates, the reactivity of the ligands themselves,
and redox. Ligand selection is a critical consideration in many
practical areas, including bioinorganic and medicinal chemistry,
homogeneous catalysis, and env