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Chemistry Forums for Students => Inorganic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Catherine S.P on May 13, 2011, 09:38:53 AM

Title: Fac and mer Isomers!!!
Post by: Catherine S.P on May 13, 2011, 09:38:53 AM

If for example you have the complex [Cu(NH3)(OH2)]2+, you can make various mer and fac isomers when regarding each ligand NH3 and OH2, do you count each different arrangement of OH2 and NH3 as seperate isomers or do you just do one isomer for fac and one isomer for mer arrangement?

I hope this makes sense :S

Title: Re: Fac and mer Isomers!!!
Post by: enahs on May 13, 2011, 03:01:37 PM

Could you distinguish the two different meridional isomers?

Title: Re: Fac and mer Isomers!!!
Post by: cheese (MSW) on August 23, 2011, 01:11:57 AM

fac (facial, all cis, on one face) and mer (meridional, two cis, one trans, A3 around a meridian) is reserved for octahedral cmplxs of the type MA3B3 and
there is only one isomer of each (make a model).  Your cmplx should .: be [Cu(H2O))3(NH3)3]^2+; go from there (neglect J-T distortion).
MA5B: one isomer; MA4B2 cis and trans, Ma3B3 fac and mer; MA3B2C: fac, mer-cis, mer trans;  A and B
monodentate ligands; M(L-L)3 and cis-M(L-L)2X2: Δ(R); Λ(L) should get you through your first course in TM coordination chem. :)