CHEMISTRY S6 UNIT 1: PROPERTIES AND USES OF TRANSITION METALS.

What Will You Learn?

• Learning the properties and uses of transition metals serves as a foundational step that opens the door to several advanced topics in inorganic and physical chemistry.
• After this unit, you'll be well-prepared to delve into:
• Coordination Chemistry (Complex Ions)
• The most immediate and significant follow-up topic is the in-depth study of coordination compounds. Transition metals' unique properties—especially their ability to form variable oxidation states and their relatively small, high-charge cations with available empty d-orbitals—make them excellent candidates for forming complex ions with ligands.
• • Ligand Exchange Reactions: Understanding the mechanisms and factors (like stability constants) that govern how ligands bond to and exchange around a central metal ion.
• • Isomerism in Complexes: Studying the different types of structural and stereoisomerism (e.g., geometric and optical) exhibited by complex ions.
• • Bonding Theories: Applying theories like Crystal Field Theory (CFT) and Ligand Field Theory (LFT) to explain the bonding, magnetic properties, and the vibrant color of transition metal complexes, which result from d−d electron transitions.
• Advanced Transition Metal Applications
• The general uses you learn will be expanded into detailed chemical and industrial applications, capitalizing on the metals' variable oxidation states and catalytic nature.
• • Catalysis: A deeper look at how transition metals and their compounds function as catalysts in various industrial processes, such as the Haber process (using iron), the Contact process (using V2O5), and in automotive catalytic converters. This often involves concepts from kinetics and reaction mechanisms.
• • Metallurgy: Detailed study of the extraction, purification, and alloying of transition metals like iron and copper, building on the concepts of reduction and redox chemistry.
• Redox Chemistry and Electrochemistry
• The variable oxidation states of transition metals are central to advanced redox concepts.
• • Standard Electrode Potentials and Redox Titrations: Using electrode potential data to predict the feasibility of redox reactions and applying transition metal ions (like MnO4− or Cr2O72−) as powerful oxidizing agents in quantitative redox titrations. The impact of pH on the reduction potentials of these ions is a critical detail in this area.