OUTER TRANSTION ELEMENTS
ONE VIEW SHORT NOTES FOR MDCAT STUDENTS
General Trends and Properties of Outer Transition Elements
• Outer transition elements refer generally to the d-block elements (especially 3d, 4d, 5d series) excluding
inner transition elements.
• Atomic radii decrease across the period due to increasing nuclear charge.
• They exhibit multiple oxidation states, often differing by one unit, due to incompletely filled d-orbitals.
• Show high melting and boiling points due to strong metallic bonding involving d-electrons.
• They are hard, dense metals with good electrical conductivity.
• Many form colored compounds because of d-d electron transitions.
• Magnetic properties arise from unpaired d electrons.
• Exhibit catalytic properties in various industrial and biological processes.
General Characteristics and Behavior
• Variable oxidation states and formation of various complex ions.
• Form coordination compounds with different ligands.
• Usually exhibit paramagnetism owing to unpaired d electrons.
• Form colored ions and complexes due to electronic transitions.
• Their chemistry includes typical reactions like oxidation-reduction, complex formation, and catalytic
activities.
Nomenclature of Coordination Complexes
• Named according to IUPAC rules:
1. Cation named before anion.
2. Ligands named first in alphabetical order, followed by the central metal.
3. Oxidation state of the metal indicated in Roman numerals in parentheses.
4. Prefixes indicate the number of identical ligands: di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa...
5. Ligands with negative charge end with “o” (e.g., chloro, cyano), neutral ligands generally retain
their usual names (e.g., ammine for NH3).
Colours of Coordination Compounds and Ions
• Colors arise primarily from d-d electronic transitions between split d orbitals in a ligand field.
• The nature of the ligands, geometry of complexes (octahedral, tetrahedral), and oxidation state of the
central metal affect color.
• Strong field ligands create a larger splitting of d orbitals, shifting absorbed light wavelengths and thus
altering observed color.
• Examples:
o [Cu(H2O)6]2+ is blue,
o [Fe(H2O)6]3+ shows yellow or violet shades,
o [Co(NH3)6]3+ appears yellow due to ligand field effects.
• The complementary color is observed based on the wavelength of light absorbed
• Sc3+: Colorless (d^0 configuration, no d-d transitions)
• Ti3+: Violet (e.g., [Ti(H_2O)_6]^{3+})
• V2+: Violet
• V3+: Green
• Cr3+: Green (e.g., [Cr(H_2O)_6]^{3+})
• Cr6+ (as in dichromate Cr2O72−Cr2O72−): Orange
• Mn2+: Pale pink
• Fe2+: Pale green to blue-green
• Fe3+: Yellow-brown
• Co2+: Pink (in aqueous solution), turns blue with ammonia ligands
• Ni2+: Green
• Cu2+: Blue (e.g., [Cu(H_2O)_6]^{2+})
• Zn2+: Colorless (d^{10} configuration)
• Cu+: Colorless (d^{10} configuration)
Notes:
• Colors arise from d-d electronic transitions in the presence of ligands.
• Completely filled (d^{10}) or empty (d^0) d-orbitals cause colorless ions.
• Colors vary depending on ligand type, oxidation state, and geometry of the complex.
• For example, Co2+Co2+ complexes are pink with water ligands and blue with ammonia ligands due to
ligand field effects.
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