How many geometric isomers are there the compound #Fe(CO)_3CL_3#?

1 Answer
anor277
May 5, 2016

#Fe(CO)_3Cl_3# has two isomers: #"facial"# and #"meridional"#

Explanation:

For the facial isomer, #"fac"-Fe(CO)_3Cl_3#, the chloride ligands occupy one face of the octahderon, and necessarily the carbonyls occupy the other face; for #"mer"-Fe(CO)_3Cl_3#, the three carbonyls (and necessarily the three chlorides) AND the metal occupy the same plane.

See
enter image source here

Note that any octahedral complex #ML_3L'_3# will generate facial meridional isomers.

PS Mods, I apologize (again!) if I have misattributed the diagram. I am not trying to antagonize you.

Related questions
See all questions in Cis and Trans
Impact of this question
4047 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License