Course Identification

Undergraduate degree in Chemistry (BSc or equivalent).

1. Introduction to coordination chemistry: The central atom and the ligand, the coordinate (dative) bond, historical background, coordination compounds in chemistry and beyond, basic nomenclature.
2. Molecular symmetry: Symmetry elements and operations, point groups, group representations (reducible and irreducible), character tables, applications of symmetry concepts in coordination chemistry.
3. Bonding in coordination compounds: Lewis acidity and basicity (donors and acceptors), Crystal Field Theory, Ligand Field Theory, electronic and magnetic properties of complexes.
4. Ligand types: Classification of ligands, denticity and hapticity, representative ligand families.
5. Structural aspects: Coordination numbers and geometry, stereochemistry, isomerism, metal-metal bonds, clusters.
6. Reactivity of complexes: Thermodynamics and kinetics, stability and lability, trans-effect and trans-influence, oxidative addition and reductive elimination, steric and electronic factors, redox reactions.
7. Physical methods in coordination chemistry: Select spectroscopic techniques (UV-vis, NMR, IR), crystallography.
8. Applications of coordination compounds: Catalysis, biology and medicine.

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

1. Recognize the symmetry elements in a given complex, identify its point group, and demonstrate knowledge of relevant symmetry-related applications.
2. Demonstrate general comprehension of bonding models in coordination compounds.
3. Classify ligands according to their structural and electronic properties, and show familiarity with ligand families.
4. Explain and predict the coordination geometry of simple complexes based on their coordination numbers and electronic properties.
5. Analyze and predict reactivity patterns in simple complexes, based on their composition, structure and electronic properties.
6. Demonstrate familiarity with physical techniques that are used to characterize complexes.
7. Provide representative examples for the application of coordination compounds.

1. J. E. Huheey, E. A. Keiter, R. L. Keiter, Inorganic Chemistry: Principles of Structure and Reactivity, 4th ed., 1993.
2. G. A. Lawrance, Introduction to Coordination Chemistry, 2010.
3. J. R. Gispert, Coordination Chemistry, 2008.
4. M. Hargittai, I. Hargittai, Symmetry through the Eyes of a Chemist, 3rd ed., 2009.