Coordination Compound
A compound containing a central metal atom or ion bonded to surrounding molecules or ions by coordinate bonds.
Formula / equation
[M(L)ₙ]Xₘ
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Coordination compounds retain their identity in solution, so the metal does not give its ordinary ionic tests. They are responsible for the colour, catalytic behaviour and magnetic properties of transition metal chemistry, and they occur throughout biology in metalloproteins.
Examples in the real world
[Cu(NH₃)₄]SO₄, K₄[Fe(CN)₆], and haemoglobin with its iron-containing haem group.