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- Dictionaryligand/ˈlɪɡ(ə)nd/
noun
- 1. an ion or molecule attached to a metal atom by coordinate bonding.
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noun
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Molecule or functional group that binds or can bind to the central atom in a coordination complex
In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule with a 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 electron pairs, often through Lewis bases. The nature of metal–ligand bonding can range from covalent to ionic. Furthermore, the metal–ligand bond order can r... Wikipedia