Octahedral Molecular Geometry - Trigonal Prismatic Geometry

Trigonal Prismatic Geometry

For compounds with the formula MX₆, the chief alternative to octahedral geometry is a trigonal prismatic geometry, which has symmetry D_3h. In this geometry, the six ligands are also equivalent. There are also distorted trigonal prisms, with C_3v symmetry; a prominent example is W(CH₃)₆. The interconversion of Δ- and Λ-complexes, which is usually slow, is proposed to proceed via a trigonal prismatic intermediate, a process called the "Bailar twist." An alternative pathway for the racemization of these same complexes is the Ray–Dutt twist.