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Exercise · Q31

Q.[Co(NH3)5(NO2)]Cl2[\text{Co}(\text{NH}_3)_5(\text{NO}_2)]\text{Cl}_2 and [Co(NH3)5(ONO)]Cl2[\text{Co}(\text{NH}_3)_5(\text{ONO})]\text{Cl}_2 are isomers of each other. Name this type of isomerism, and identify the donor atom used by the ambidentate ligand in each isomer.

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Both compounds have exactly the same set of ligands (five NH3\text{NH}_3 plus one nitrite-derived ligand) bonded to the same metal, and differ only in which atom of the ambidentate nitrite ligand is actually doing the bonding — this is linkage isomerism (Section 5.15). In [Co(NH3)5(NO2)]Cl2[\text{Co}(\text{NH}_3)_5(\text{NO}_2)]\text{Cl}_2, the ligand is named and written as nitro, meaning it is bonded to cobalt through its nitrogen atom (Co-NO2\text{Co-NO}_2). In [Co(NH3)5(ONO)]Cl2[\text{Co}(\text{NH}_3)_5(\text{ONO})]\text{Cl}_2, the ligand is named and written as nitrito, meaning it is bonded to cobalt through one of its oxygen atoms instead (Co-ONO\text{Co-ONO}). These two isomers are chemically distinguishable (different colours, and the less stable nitrito form gradually converts to the more stable nitro form on standing or gentle heating), e …

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