Examples of such ligands are the NO2
– and
SCN
– ions NO2
– ion can coordinate either through
nitrogen or through oxygen to a central metal
atom/ion Similarly, SCN
– ion can coordinate through the
sulphur or nitrogen atom ( d ) Coordination number
The coordination number (CN) of a metal ion in a complex can be
defined as the number of ligand donor atoms to which the metal is
directly bonded