Ligand Field Splitting

[BlackSails]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Ok, so my teacher did not explain this so well.

Basically, from what I see, is this:

A ligand induces the outermost d orbital to split into the t2g and eg orbitals. The energy difference between them is noted as Delta0. Delta0 varies based on the ligand, and is not findable a priori, without computers. You look Delta0 up in the spectrochemical series. If Delta0 is greater than the energy difference between the singlet and triplet states, then the electrons pair up in the t2g level. If it is less, then the spins are aligned, and the electrons do not pair up until the eg level is also half full.

Have I missed anything?

Also, what is the difference between ligand field theory and crystal field theory in terms of ligand-transition metal interactions?

Thanks!

 

[Instatewaiter]

go to office hours

 

[Nevadanteater]

Physical Chemistry is a huge part of the reason i've left chemistry.

eeeeew.

I might (that's a big might) have been able to answer that about 4 years ago. Now PChem has been regulated to a part of my brain reserved for repressed memories and childhood embarassments.

i agree - go to office hours. or use a chemistry board to get homework help - SDN doesn't have that many pchem heads...

 

[BlackSails]

This is for gen chem, not pchem 🙁

Id go to office hours, but I think I would get the same vauge information that was in the powerpoint.

I guess ill try wikipedia.

Thanks though!

 

[DrMontana]

Try to find a pchem or inorganic chem book in the library. they'll go a little more in depth, but it might help.

 

[MeCord3]

Ok, so my teacher did not explain this so well.

Basically, from what I see, is this:

A ligand induces the outermost d orbital to split into the t2g and eg orbitals. The energy difference between them is noted as Delta0. Delta0 varies based on the ligand, and is not findable a priori, without computers. You look Delta0 up in the spectrochemical series. If Delta0 is greater than the energy difference between the singlet and triplet states, then the electrons pair up in the t2g level. If it is less, then the spins are aligned, and the electrons do not pair up until the eg level is also half full.

Have I missed anything?

Also, what is the difference between ligand field theory and crystal field theory in terms of ligand-transition metal interactions?

Thanks!

You seem to have a grasp of it. I'm surprised you'd be covering this in gen chem. This seems much more suited to a Pchem or a quantum chem class. To answer your latter question, Ligand Field Theory evolved from Crystal Field Theory as it was combined with data arising from Molecular Orbital Theory.

 

[BlackSails]

You seem to have a grasp of it. I'm surprised you'd be covering this in gen chem.

Gen Chem honors at my school is.....thorough, in the same uncomfortable way that a strip seach might be.

I do not exaggerate when I say that 1st semester drove students to the student health center for psychological help. The professor that semester was great, but he went a little quickly for the class' taste.

 

[chortlehortle]

Ok, so my teacher did not explain this so well.

Basically, from what I see, is this:

A ligand induces the outermost d orbital to split into the t2g and eg orbitals. The energy difference between them is noted as Delta0. Delta0 varies based on the ligand, and is not findable a priori, without computers. You look Delta0 up in the spectrochemical series. If Delta0 is greater than the energy difference between the singlet and triplet states, then the electrons pair up in the t2g level. If it is less, then the spins are aligned, and the electrons do not pair up until the eg level is also half full.

Have I missed anything?

Also, what is the difference between ligand field theory and crystal field theory in terms of ligand-transition metal interactions?

Thanks!

This seems mostly right...

I just don't see how this is useful in the least bit for a Gchem class..

I guess it gives you an idea of MO theory and how electron orbital/filling nature can be variable. But honestly, I could've just told you that without this erudite example of crystal field theory.

Geez, what has become of GChem these days.

But if you get it and all, then good for you. I tutored Gchem for 3 years and most of the students had a hard enough time understanding gram to mole conversions...


jk... (but not really for some people)

 

[Revilla]

My Gen Chem II class is covering this very topic right now. It's part of the coordination chemistry concepts. We're only expected to know the basics about it though and our teacher gave us a totem pole of sorts for the most common ligands on the strong-weak fields.

Sorry I can't be of more help, OP. We just started the unit, so I don't know much. It's just nice to know someone else is learning it too because none of the Gen Chem sections covered this last semester and very few are covering it this semester.

 

[crimsonkid85]

at least from what i remember from inorganic chemistry, crystal field theory was developed to consider metal ions in crystals, and thus is called crystal field theory, but it is also useful for molecular coordination compounds of transition metals.

ligand field theory uses molecular orbitals to consider a ligand environment of Lewis bases in an octahedron around a metal center.

 

[NoktorNoL]

Ok, so my teacher did not explain this so well.

Basically, from what I see, is this:

A ligand induces the outermost d orbital to split into the t2g and eg orbitals. The energy difference between them is noted as Delta0. Delta0 varies based on the ligand, and is not findable a priori, without computers. You look Delta0 up in the spectrochemical series. If Delta0 is greater than the energy difference between the singlet and triplet states, then the electrons pair up in the t2g level. If it is less, then the spins are aligned, and the electrons do not pair up until the eg level is also half full.

Have I missed anything?

Also, what is the difference between ligand field theory and crystal field theory in terms of ligand-transition metal interactions?

Thanks!

You've got the gist of it..I assume since this is for Gen Chem that the simplified version you explained is adequate.

Ligand field theory uses molecular orbital theory to explain the splitting...which means it assumes there are actually bonds between the ligand and the metal, and uses a lot of math to explain the nature of those bonds. Crystal field theory basically just "looks" at the splitting through magnetics and spectrophotometry and classifies the states as high-spin or low-spin based on its diamagnetic or paramagnetic properties.