Consider the following statements regarding transition metal complexes: 1. Transition metals form coordination compounds due to the availability of vacant d-orbitals and high nuclear charge. 2. Ligands act as Lewis acids by accepting electron pairs from the central metal atom. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement one is correct because transition metals possess vacant d-orbitals and small ionic radii that facilitate coordination bond formation with electron-rich species. Statement two is incorrect because ligands donate electron pairs to the central metal atom, making ligands Lewis bases rather than Lewis acids while the central metal ion acts as the Lewis acid. Coordination chemistry explains the vibrant colors and catalytic properties of many metal complexes.