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Werner’s theory
What are the two postulates of Werner’s theory?
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Werner’s theory, also known as Werner’s coordination theory, was proposed by Alfred Werner in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The theory laid the foundation for modern coordination chemistry and provided a comprehensive understanding of coordination compounds.
Werner’s theory is based on two fundamental postulates:
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Coordination Number: The central postulate of Werner’s theory is that metal ions exhibit a characteristic coordination number. Coordination number refers to the number of ligands that surround a metal ion in a coordination complex. Werner proposed that the coordination number of a metal ion is determined by the spatial arrangement of the ligands around the metal ion. For example, a coordination number of 6 implies that six ligands are surrounding the metal ion.
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Primary Valence and Secondary Valence: Werner introduced the concept of primary and secondary valence to explain the behavior of coordination compounds. The primary valence represents the oxidation state or charge of the metal ion and is satisfied by the ligands directly attached to the metal ion through covalent bonds. The secondary valence refers to the coordination number and represents the number of ligands that surround the metal ion to form the coordination sphere. The secondary valence is satisfied by electrostatic forces or coordination bonds between the metal ion and the ligands.
These two postulates were significant contributions to the understanding of coordination chemistry and laid the groundwork for further developments in the field.
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