monodentaattinen

Monodentaattinen is a term used in chemistry to describe a ligand that can donate a pair of electrons to a central metal atom through only one donor atom. The word itself comes from Greek roots: "mono" meaning one, and "denta" meaning tooth, referring to the single point of attachment.

In coordination chemistry, ligands are molecules or ions that bind to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The way a ligand binds depends on the number of donor atoms it possesses. A monodentate ligand has only one atom that can form a coordinate covalent bond with the metal. Examples of common monodentate ligands include water (H2O), ammonia (NH3), chloride ion (Cl-), hydroxide ion (OH-), and cyanide ion (CN-). In each of these, there is a single atom with a lone pair of electrons available for donation to the metal center.

In contrast, polydentate ligands have multiple donor atoms and can bind to a metal atom at more than one site. Examples of polydentate ligands include bidentate ligands (like ethylenediamine, which has two nitrogen donor atoms) and tridentate ligands. The number of denticity, or the number of donor atoms in a ligand, significantly influences the stability and geometry of the resulting coordination complex. Monodentate ligands are fundamental building blocks in understanding coordination chemistry, and their interactions with metal ions are crucial in many chemical and biological processes.