Labile or inert?
Labile – a compound that undergoes reactions with a relatively high rate
substitution
Inert – a compound that undergoes reactions with a slow rate of substitut
Inert is a relative term, t1/2 > 1 min at 25 oC
3 main factors that affect the whether a complex is labile or inert:
1. Size: Smaller metal ions tend to be more inert as ligands are held mor
tightly.
2. Charge on Metal: The greater the charge on a metal ion in a complex,
the greater the tendency towards the complex being inert
3. Number of d electrons and configuration
, Octahedral geometry d-electron configuration: labile or in
# of d-electrons /
Reactivity Notes
configuration
d1 Labile N/A
d2 Labile N/A
d3 Inert N/A
d4 Low Spin Inert N/A
d4 High Spin Labile Especially labile as it is structurally distorted by the Jahn-Te
d5 Low Spin Inert N/A
d5 High Spin Labile N/A
d6 Low Spin Inert N/A
d6 High Spin Labile N/A
d7 High Spin Labile N/A
d8 Square Planar Inert For d8 and above low spin is the same as high spin.
d8 Intermediate This configuration is intermediate, especially with weak fiel
Like d4 H.S. this configuration is especially labile as it is disto
d9 Labile
Jahn-Teller effect.
d10 Labile N/A
Labile – a compound that undergoes reactions with a relatively high rate
substitution
Inert – a compound that undergoes reactions with a slow rate of substitut
Inert is a relative term, t1/2 > 1 min at 25 oC
3 main factors that affect the whether a complex is labile or inert:
1. Size: Smaller metal ions tend to be more inert as ligands are held mor
tightly.
2. Charge on Metal: The greater the charge on a metal ion in a complex,
the greater the tendency towards the complex being inert
3. Number of d electrons and configuration
, Octahedral geometry d-electron configuration: labile or in
# of d-electrons /
Reactivity Notes
configuration
d1 Labile N/A
d2 Labile N/A
d3 Inert N/A
d4 Low Spin Inert N/A
d4 High Spin Labile Especially labile as it is structurally distorted by the Jahn-Te
d5 Low Spin Inert N/A
d5 High Spin Labile N/A
d6 Low Spin Inert N/A
d6 High Spin Labile N/A
d7 High Spin Labile N/A
d8 Square Planar Inert For d8 and above low spin is the same as high spin.
d8 Intermediate This configuration is intermediate, especially with weak fiel
Like d4 H.S. this configuration is especially labile as it is disto
d9 Labile
Jahn-Teller effect.
d10 Labile N/A
