inorganic chemistry Inorganic chemistry deals with synthesis and behavior of inorganic and organometallic compounds. This field covers chemical compounds that are not carbon-based, which are the subjects of organic chemistry. The distinction between the two disci ...

, a homoleptic

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

is a metal compound with all

ligand In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule (functional group) that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electr ...

s identical. The term uses the " homo-" prefix to indicate that something is the same for all. Any metal species which has more than one type of ligand is heteroleptic. Some compounds with names that suggest that they are homoleptic are in fact heteroleptic, because they have ligands in them which are not featured in the name. For instance dialkyl magnesium complexes, which are found in the equilibrium which exists in a

solution Solution may refer to: * Solution (chemistry), a mixture where one substance is dissolved in another * Solution (equation), in mathematics ** Numerical solution, in numerical analysis, approximate solutions within specified error bounds * Soluti ...

of a

Grignard reagent A Grignard reagent or Grignard compound is a chemical compound with the general formula , where X is a halogen and R is an organic group, normally an alkyl or aryl. Two typical examples are methylmagnesium chloride and phenylmagnesium bromide ...

in an

ether In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula , where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be c ...

, have two ether ligands attached to each

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

centre. Another example is a solution of

trimethyl aluminium Trimethylaluminium is one of the simplest examples of an Organoaluminium chemistry, organoaluminium compound. Despite its name it has the Chemical formula, formula aluminum, Al2(methyl, CH3)6 (abbreviated as Al2Me6 or TMA), as it exists as a Dimer ...

in an ether solvent (such as

THF Tetrahydrofuran (THF), or oxolane, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2)4O. The compound is classified as heterocyclic compound, specifically a cyclic ether. It is a colorless, water- miscible organic liquid with low viscosity. It is ...

); similar chemistry should be expected for a triaryl or trialkyl

borane Trihydridoboron, also known as borane or borine, is an unstable and highly reactive molecule with the chemical formula . The preparation of borane carbonyl, BH3(CO), played an important role in exploring the chemistry of boranes, as it indicated ...

. It is possible for some ligands such as

DMSO Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an organosulfur compound with the formula ( CH3)2. This colorless liquid is the sulfoxide most widely used commercially. It is an important polar aprotic solvent that dissolves both polar and nonpolar compounds an ...

to bind with two or more different coordination modes. It would still be reasonable to consider a complex which has only one type of ligand but with different coordination modes to be homoleptic. For example, the complex dichlorotetrakis(dimethyl sulfoxide)ruthenium(II) features DMSO coordinating via both sulfur and oxygen atoms (though this is not homoleptic since there are also chloride ligands).

Examples

* Chromium carbonyl *

Ferrocyanide Ferrocyanide is the name of the anion CN)6">cyanide.html" ;"title="e(cyanide">CN)6sup>4−. Salts of this coordination complex give yellow solutions. It is usually available as the salt potassium ferrocyanide, which has the formula K4Fe(CN)6. e ...

Iron pentacarbonyl Iron pentacarbonyl, also known as iron carbonyl, is the compound with formula . Under standard conditions Fe( CO)5 is a free-flowing, straw-colored liquid with a pungent odour. Older samples appear darker. This compound is a common precursor to ...

Nickel carbonyl Nickel carbonyl (IUPAC name: tetracarbonylnickel) is a nickel(0) organometallic compound with the formula Ni(CO)4. This colorless liquid is the principal carbonyl of nickel. It is an intermediate in the Mond process for producing very high-pur ...

Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) Tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) (sometimes called quatrotriphenylphosphine palladium) is the chemical compound d(P(C6H5)3)4 often abbreviated Pd( PPh3)4, or rarely PdP4. It is a bright yellow crystalline solid that becomes brown upon de ...

Ferrocene Ferrocene is an organometallic compound with the formula . The molecule is a complex consisting of two cyclopentadienyl rings bound to a central iron atom. It is an orange solid with a camphor-like odor, that sublimes above room temperature, a ...

Uranium hexafluoride Uranium hexafluoride (), (sometimes called "hex") is an inorganic compound with the formula UF6. Uranium hexafluoride is a volatile white solid that reacts with water, releasing corrosive hydrofluoric acid. The compound reacts mildly with alumin ...

tetraethyl lead Tetraethyllead (commonly styled tetraethyl lead), abbreviated TEL, is an organolead compound with the formula Pb( C2H5)4. It is a fuel additive, first being mixed with gasoline beginning in the 1920s as a patented octane rating booster that al ...

tetramethyl lead Tetramethyllead, also called tetra methyllead and lead tetramethyl, is a chemical compound used as an antiknock additive for gasoline. Its use is being phased out for environmental considerations. The National Institute for Occupational Safety a ...

tetrabutyl tin Tetrabutyltin is the organotin compound with the molecular formula (C4H9)4Sn or SnBu4. Sometimes abbreviated TTBT, it is a colorless, lipophilic oil. Tetrabutyltin is a precursor to tributyltin and dibutyltin compounds. By the redistribution reac ...

trimethylaluminium Trimethylaluminium is one of the simplest examples of an organoaluminium compound. Despite its name it has the formula Al2( CH3)6 (abbreviated as Al2Me6 or TMA), as it exists as a dimer. This colorless liquid is pyrophoric. It is an industriall ...

dimethylmercury Dimethylmercury (( C H3)2 Hg) is an extremely toxic organomercury compound. A highly volatile, reactive, flammable, and colorless liquid, dimethylmercury is one of the strongest known neurotoxins, with a quantity of less than 0.1 mL capable of in ...

Diethylzinc Diethylzinc (C2H5)2Zn, or DEZ, is a highly pyrophoric and reactive organozinc compound consisting of a zinc center bound to two ethyl groups. This colourless liquid is an important reagent in organic chemistry. It is available commercially as a s ...

triethylborane Triethylborane (TEB), also called triethylboron, is an organoborane (a compound with a B–C bond). It is a colorless pyrophoric liquid. Its chemical formula is or , abbreviated . It is soluble in organic solvents tetrahydrofuran and hexane. Pr ...

* Chromate *

Permanganate A permanganate () is a chemical compound containing the manganate(VII) ion, , the conjugate base of permanganic acid. Because the manganese atom is in the +7 oxidation state, the permanganate(VII) ion is a strong oxidizing agent. The ion is a tra ...

Ferroin Ferroin is the chemical compound with the formula e(''o''-phen)3O4, where ''o''-phen is an abbreviation for 1,10-phenanthroline, a bidentate ligand. The term "ferroin" is used loosely and includes salts of other anions such as chloride. Redox ...

* bis(

terpyridine Terpyridine (2,2';6',2"-terpyridine, often abbreviated to Terpy or Tpy) is a heterocyclic compound derived from pyridine. It is a white solid that is soluble in most organic solvents. The compound is mainly used as a ligand in coordination chemist ...

)iron(II)

References

Organometallic chemistry Inorganic chemistry Coordination chemistry {{Inorganic-compound-stub