What type of bond is formed between Cu2+ and ammonia in [Cu(NH3)4]2+?

What type of bond is formed between Cu2+ and ammonia in [Cu(NH3)4]2+?

• A. Covalent
• B. Ionic
• C. Coordinate covalent
• D. Metallic

Answer: (C)

In the complex ion [Cu(NH3)4]²⁺, the bond formed between Cu²⁺ and ammonia (NH3) is best described as a coordinate covalent bond. This type of bond occurs when one atom provides both electrons for a shared pair in a bond, rather than the typical scenario where each atom contributes one electron to the bond. In this case, the ammonia molecule acts as a ligand, which is a species that can donate a lone pair of electrons to a metal center. The nitrogen atom in ammonia has a lone pair of electrons that it can share with the copper ion (Cu²⁺), leading to the formation of a coordinate bond. Here, the copper ion accepts the lone pair from the ammonia, resulting in a bond that is characterized by the shared electron pair coming exclusively from the ligand. This bond is distinct from ionic bonds, which form between oppositely charged ions through electrostatic attraction, and from metallic bonds, which involve a sea of delocalized electrons among a lattice of metal cations. The nature of interaction and electron donation in this complex specifically highlights the coordinate covalent bond formation between ammonia and the copper ion.

In the complex ion [Cu(NH3)4]²⁺, the bond formed between Cu²⁺ and ammonia (NH3) is best described as a coordinate covalent bond. This type of bond occurs when one atom provides both electrons for a shared pair in a bond, rather than the typical scenario where each atom contributes one electron to the bond.

In this case, the ammonia molecule acts as a ligand, which is a species that can donate a lone pair of electrons to a metal center. The nitrogen atom in ammonia has a lone pair of electrons that it can share with the copper ion (Cu²⁺), leading to the formation of a coordinate bond. Here, the copper ion accepts the lone pair from the ammonia, resulting in a bond that is characterized by the shared electron pair coming exclusively from the ligand.

This bond is distinct from ionic bonds, which form between oppositely charged ions through electrostatic attraction, and from metallic bonds, which involve a sea of delocalized electrons among a lattice of metal cations. The nature of interaction and electron donation in this complex specifically highlights the coordinate covalent bond formation between ammonia and the copper ion.