Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
*
t
1u
p
*
a
1g
s
e
g
*
E
d
t
2g
e
g
t
1u
a
1g
metal orbitals
molecular orbitals
ligand orbitals
FIGURE 2.8
Simplified MO energy level diagram for the formation of a sigma-bonded octahedral ML
6
complex in which there are no
p
-bonding interactions between metal and ligand.
(From
Mackay & Mackay, 1989
.
)
FIGURE 2.9
The ways in which
p
-bonding interactions with a ligand can influence the value of the energy difference,
D
for an octahedral
complex. High-energy, poorly populated
p
-orbitals in the ligand increase the splitting (i.e., are
p
-acceptors), whereas filled, low-energy
p
-orbitals decrease the splitting (they are
p
-donors).
