Skip to content
Question 62 of 67

Q.In the complex, [Co(CN)2Cl2]Cl[Co(CN)_2Cl_2]Cl, identify the following.

(i) IUPAC name
(ii) Central metal ion
(iii) Co-ordination number
Tamil Nadu DgeTamil Nadu HSC (DGE) Board 2024Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
93% · 62/67 Questions
🔒 Locked · start free trial →

You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.

Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →

Working from the given formula, [Co(CN)2Cl2]Cl[Co(CN)_2Cl_2]Cl has one Cl−Cl^- counter-ion outside the bracket, making the complex ion +1+1; with two CN−CN^- and two Cl−Cl^- ligands each contributing −1-1, cobalt's oxidation number balances out to +5+5, and the coordination number is 4.

(ii) Central metal ion: Cobalt, CoCo, enclosed within the square brackets.

(iii) Coordination number: The ligands directly bonded to Co are 2 cyanide (CN−CN^-) and 2 chloride (Cl−Cl^-), all monodentate — total donor atoms =2+2=4=2+2=4, so coordination number =4=4.

Oxidation number of Co (needed for the name): The compound overall is neutral, with one Cl−Cl^- (charge −1-1) written outside the bracket as the counter-ion, so the complex ion [Co(CN)2Cl2]+[Co(CN)_2Cl_2]^+ must carry an overall charge of +1+1. Writing xx for Co's oxidation state: x+2(−1)CN−+2(−1)Cl−=+1 ⇒ x−4=+1 ⇒ x=+5x + 2(-1)_{CN^-} + 2(-1)_{Cl^-} = +1 \ \Rightarrow\ x - 4 = +1 \ \Rightarrow\ x = +5

(i) IUPAC name: Ligands are cited in alphabetical order — 'chlorido' before 'cyanido' (comparing letter-by-letter, 'chl...' precedes 'cya...'). With two of each, the prefixes 'di-' are used: dichlorido, dicyanido. Since the complex ion is a cation, the metal name is used unchanged, cobalt, followed by its oxidation state in Roman numerals: Dichloridodicyanidocobalt(V) chloride\text{Dichloridodicyanidocobalt(V) chloride}

…

Unlock everything free for 14 days

  • Full step-by-step solutions
  • Concept-first explanations
  • Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
  • PYQ mapping + timed mock tests

Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.