21.3 Isomers in Coordination Chemistry
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Table of Contents
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| STRUCTURAL ISOMERS-have a different bond connectivity | |
|---|---|
| LINKAGE ISOMERS | COORDINATION SPHERE ISOMERS |
-have the same ligand linked through different atoms  | -difference in ions/water molecules that are in/out of the coordination sphere (acting as ligands)  |
| STEREOISOMERS-same bond connectivity but different 3D arrangement of atoms | |
|---|---|
| GEOMETRIC ISOMERS (CIS/TRANS) | OPTICAL ISOMERS |
-cis when 2 groups are 90° apart-trans when 2 groups are 180° apartPossible for three complexes:  | -non-superimposable mirror images (like your hands)Possible for three complexes:  |
Optical Isomers Vocabulary
A compound with optical isomers is said to be chiral and the two forms are called enantiomers.
Chiral compounds are optically active (they rotate plane polarized light).
A racemic mixture is a 50/50 mixture of both enantiomers and thus isn’t optically active.