Inorganic Chemistry Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Inorganic Chemistry.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
The study of the role of metals and inorganic compounds in biological systems, including metalloenzymes and metal-based drugs.
A ligand that binds to a single metal center through two or more donor atoms, forming a ring structure and creating a more stable complex.
The number of ligand donor atoms directly bonded to the central metal atom or ion in a coordination complex.
The separation of d-orbital energy levels caused by the electrostatic interaction between the metal ion and surrounding ligands. The magnitude of the splitting is denoted $\Delta$.
A model explaining the electronic structure of transition metal complexes by treating ligands as point charges that create an electrostatic field around the metal.
The transition metals occupying groups 3-12 of the periodic table, characterized by partially filled d-orbitals.
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, a hexadentate chelating ligand widely used in analytical chemistry, water treatment, and medicine.
The distribution of electrons among the available orbitals of an atom or ion, determining its chemical properties and bonding behavior.
The lanthanides and actinides, which have partially filled f-orbitals. They are placed separately at the bottom of the periodic table.
A form of stereoisomerism in which the same atoms are bonded in the same order but differ in their spatial arrangement (cis vs. trans).
Pearson's classification where hard acids (small, high charge) prefer hard bases, and soft acids (large, polarizable) prefer soft bases.
An iron-porphyrin complex found in hemoglobin, myoglobin, and cytochromes, essential for oxygen transport and electron transfer.
The energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom or ion, influencing oxidation state accessibility and chemical reactivity.
A distortion of molecular geometry that removes orbital degeneracy in non-linear complexes, lowering overall energy.
An electron-pair acceptor. In inorganic chemistry, metal cations commonly act as Lewis acids by accepting electron pairs from ligands.
A molecule or ion that donates electron pairs to a central metal atom to form a coordination bond.
A bonding model that combines crystal field theory with molecular orbital theory to describe metal-ligand interactions more accurately.
An enzyme that contains one or more metal ions essential for its catalytic activity, such as carbonic anhydrase (Zn) or cytochrome c oxidase (Fe, Cu).
A method of describing electronic structure where atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals that are delocalized over the entire molecule.
A compound containing at least one direct bond between a metal atom and a carbon atom.
The hypothetical charge an atom would have if all bonds were completely ionic, used to track electron transfer in redox reactions.
A crystal structure with general formula $\text{ABX}_3$, important in materials science for applications in solar cells, capacitors, and superconductors.
A chemical reaction involving the transfer of electrons between species, where one is oxidized (loses electrons) and another is reduced (gains electrons).
An empirical ordering of ligands by their ability to cause d-orbital splitting, from weak-field ($\text{I}^-$) to strong-field ($\text{CO}$).
A coordination compound as described by Alfred Werner's coordination theory, featuring a metal center with defined primary and secondary valences.