A tridentate ligand (or terdentate ligand) is a

ligand In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule ( functional group) that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's ele ...

that has three atoms that can function as acceptor atoms in a

coordination complex A coordination complex consists of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the ''coordination centre'', and a surrounding array of bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ''ligands'' or complexing agents. Many ...

. Well-known tridentate ligands include diethylenetriamine with three nitrogen donor atoms, and the iminodiacetate anion which consists of one deprotonated amine nitrogen and a pair of carboxylate groups. An octahedrally coordinated atom has six positions around it. Two tridentate ligands may form a complex with such an atom. There are two possible arrangements for such a complex: ''fac'' where the coordination is in a triangle on one face of the octahedron, and ''mer'' where the coordinating atoms are in an arc around the central atom, with two atoms of the ligand opposite each other. ''Fac'' tridentate ligands are termed scorpionate ligands, especially in reference to polypyrazolylborates. If the tridentate ligand is not symmetrical, then in the ''fac'' complexes in octahedral coordination there are three possible isomers. In the ''mer'' complexes there are two

enantiomer In chemistry, an enantiomer ( /ɪˈnænti.əmər, ɛ-, -oʊ-/ ''ih-NAN-tee-ə-mər''; from Ancient Greek ἐνάντιος ''(enántios)'' 'opposite', and μέρος ''(méros)'' 'part') – also called optical isomer, antipode, or optical ant ...

s, mirror images of each other.

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{{Reflist Coordination chemistry Ligands

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