Werner proposed that octahedral, tetrahedral, and square planar shapes are common in coordination compounds. Examples include [Co(NH₃)₆]³⁺, [Ni(CO)₄], and [PtCl₄]²⁻ representing octahedral, tetrahedral, and square planar entities, respectively.

Coordination entities, within square brackets, are species formed by the central metal ion and its ligands. Counter ions, outside the brackets, balance the charge of the complex.

Coordination polyhedra describe the spatial arrangements of species within brackets in coordination compounds. They provide a framework for understanding the geometry around the central metal ion.

Werner’s theory, proposed in 1898, includes the concepts of primary and secondary valences. Primary valences are ionizable and satisfied by negative ions, while secondary valences are non-ionizable and correspond to the coordination number, determining the spatial arrangement of ions/groups around ...

Werner proposed that metals in coordination compounds exhibit primary and secondary valences. Primary valences are ionizable, satisfied by negative ions, while secondary valences are non-ionizable and satisfied by neutral molecules or negative ions, equal to the coordination number.