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Chemistry Forums for Students => Inorganic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: mattp on April 23, 2017, 08:38:16 AM

Title: Crystal field theory / High or Low spin?
Post by: mattp on April 23, 2017, 08:38:16 AM
Hi guys,

I've been synthesizing [CuCl4 ][NEt4]2 complex and I have a few questions.
Firstly, my assistant told me the Cu2+ was clearly low spin. However, I would say it's neither high nor low spin or high spin. Indeed, it has only one unpaired electron in the t2 subset.

My second question is about the solvent. Ethanol was used as it doesn't coordinates well to the metal. However, I was wondering why it doesn't coordinate well... Is it like in CO the C coordinates but not the oxygen?

Many thanks!