Ligands and Color in Metal Complexes

Transition metals form coordination complexes with ligands in many everyday materials. These metals appear in vitamin supplements, electroplating baths, pigments in paints, and minerals. In many cases, they are found as cations because they readily oxidize, or lose electrons.

Ligands are electron...

Coordination complexes consist of a central metal atom or ion bound to some number of functional groups known as ligands.

Electrons are found in predictable locations around an atom's nucleus, called orbitals. Most metals have a large number of accessible electrons compared to light main group elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon. ...