Respuesta :
Bidentate ligands are Lewis bases that donate two pairs ("bi") of electrons to a metal atom. Bidentate ligands are often referred to as chelating ligands ("chelate" is derived from the Greek word for "claw") because they can "grab" a metal atom in two places.
How do you identify a bidentate ligand?
To see if a ligand if a bidentate, tridentate, or hexadentate, you look to see how many lone pairs there are one different atoms. The best way to see this is by drawing a lewis structure. For example, a bidentate would have two lone pairs, each on different atoms.
What is a bidentate ligand example?
Image result for bidentate ligands
Bidentate ligands have two donor atoms which allow them to bind to a central metal atom or ion at two points. Common examples of bidentate ligands are ethylenediamine (en), and the oxalate ion (ox).
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