A bridging ligand is a ligand that connects two or more atoms, usually metal ions. The ligand may be atomic or polyatomic. Virtually all complex organic compounds can serve as bridging ligands, so the term is usually restricted to small ligands such as pseudohalides or to ligands that are specifically designed to link two metals.
In naming a complex wherein a single atom bridges two metals, the bridging ligand is preceded by the Greek character 'mu', μ, with a superscript number denoting the number of metals bound to the bridging ligand is bound. μ2 is often denoted simply as μ. When describing coordination complexes care should be taken not to confuse μ with η ('eta'), which relates to hapticity.
Read more about Bridging Ligand: Illustrative Bridging Ligands, Polyfunctional Ligands, Examples
Famous quotes containing the word bridging:
“When its errands are noble and adequate, a steamboat bridging the Atlantic between Old and New England, and arriving at its ports with the punctuality of a planet, is a step of man into harmony with nature.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)