Central Atom or Ion

The central atom or ion is the one occupying the central position in a coordination entity, binding the surrounding ligands to itself through coordinate covalent bonds -- for example Fe²⁺ in K₄[Fe(CN)₆], which accepts an electron pair from each of the six CN⁻ ligands to form six coordinate bonds. Because the central metal ion has the ability to accept electron pairs donated by the ligands, it is classified as a Lewis ac …