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What is the formal charge on platinum in cis-platin?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisplatin
I don't really understand the explanation. It says that the chlorine atoms are negative, the nitrogens are neutral, and therefore platinum must be +2 in order to make an overall neutral molecule. How are the chlorines negative?
I may be mixing up formal charge and oxidation state, because I thought that since platinum was bound to 2 nitrogens and 2 chlorines that it would be +4 because it's bound to 4 atoms that are all more electronegative than itself.
Any clarification is much appreciated.
--happy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisplatin
I don't really understand the explanation. It says that the chlorine atoms are negative, the nitrogens are neutral, and therefore platinum must be +2 in order to make an overall neutral molecule. How are the chlorines negative?
I may be mixing up formal charge and oxidation state, because I thought that since platinum was bound to 2 nitrogens and 2 chlorines that it would be +4 because it's bound to 4 atoms that are all more electronegative than itself.
Any clarification is much appreciated.
--happy
