Determine the number of unpaired electrons in a Cu+2 tetrahedral complex.
A) Zero
B) One
C) Two
D) Three
E) Four

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cu+2 ion has d9 configuration. In the tetrahedral geometry, the d-orbitals are split into two sets, eg and t2g. The 4 ligands occupy the 4 t2g orbitals. Therefore, there are 5 electrons in the eg set. Two of these electrons go into the pairing and the remaining 3 electrons are unpaired. Hence, the number of unpaired electrons in Cu+2 tetrahedral complex is one.

Determine the Number of Unpaired Electrons in a Cu+2 Tetrahedral