CHEM 360
How do you name a complex?
Order of the name is defined by…
External cation –- complex center –- external anion
Within the complex center’s name the anionic ligands are named before the neutral ligands and the metal (with its oxidation state) is listed last.
Examples are as follows:
a) Anionic complexes
K2[BeF4] dipotassium tetrafluoro berylate (II)
Na2[Fe(CN)5CO] sodium pentacyano carbonyl ferrate(III)
b) Neutral complexes
[RuCl3(H2O)3] trichloro triaquo rthenium(III)
[RhCl(PPh3)3] chloro tris(triphenylphosphine) rhodium(I)
c) Cationic complexes
[Co(NH3)6]Cl3 hexamine colbalt(III) trichloride
[CoCl(NH3)5]Cl2 chloro pentamine colbalt(III) dichloride