text: The rate of reductive elimination is greatly influenced by the geometry of the metal complex. In octahedral complexes, reductive elimination can be very slow from the coordinatively saturated center, and often, reductive elimination only proceeds via a dissociative mechanism, where a ligand must initially dissociate to make a five-coordinate complex. This complex adopts a Y-type distorted trigonal bipyramidal structure where a π-donor ligand is at the basal position and the two groups to be eliminated are brought very close together. After elimination, a T-shaped three-coordinate complex is formed, which will associate with a ligand to form the square planar four-coordinate complex.