Lecture 2

General Substitution Reactions of Octahedral Complexes

Studies on octahedral complexes have largely been limited to two types of reaction:

• Replacement of coordinated solvent ( eg water). Perhaps the most thoroughly studies replacement reactions of this type is the formation of a complex ion from a hydrated metal ion in solution.
  

• Anation: When the entering group is an ion the reaction is called anation.
  

• Solvolysis. Since the majority of such reactions have been carried out in aqueous solution, hydrolysis is a more appropriate term. Hydrolysis reactions have been done under acidic or basic conditions.