CLASSIFICATION OF LIGANDS

 

Based on number of donor sites,

1. Monodentate ligands contains only one donating atom.

   a) Neutral monodentate ligands:

NAME OF THE LIGAND	STRUCTURE SHOWING DONOR ATOM
ammine
aqua
carbonyl
nitrosyl

    b)Positive/ cationic monodentate ligand:

NAME OF THE LIGAND	STRUCTURE SHOWING DONOR ATOM
nitronium
nitrosyelium
hydronium
ammonium

   c) Negative/ anionic monodentate ligand:

NAME OF THE LIGAND	STRUCTURE SHOWING DONOR ATOM
halo	x-
cyno
thiocyanate
amido

 

^{2. Polydentate ligands contains more than one donating atom.}

• Bidentate ligand has two donor atoms.

  

  ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (edta)

  
  

oxalato (ox)

glycinato (gly)

ethylenediamine (en)

• Tridentate ligand has three donor atoms.

  

  diethylenetriamine (dien)

  
  
  
  
• Tetradentate ligand has four donor atoms.

triethylenetetramine (trien)

• Pentadentate ligand has five donor atoms.

ethylenediaminetriacetato 

• Hexadentate ligand has six donor atoms.

  

  ethylenediaminetetraacetato (edta^4-)

  
  

trans-dichlorobisethylenediamineplatinum (II)

[Pt(en)₂Cl₂]

cis-dichlorobisethylenediamineplatinum (II)

[Pt(en)₂Cl₂]

cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) or cisplatin

[Pt(NH₃)₂Cl₂]

trans-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) or transplatin

[Pt(NH₃)₂Cl₂]