Biodegradable substances include food scraps, cotton, wool, wood, human and animal waste, manufactured products based on natural materials (such as paper, and vegetable-oil based soaps). See also degradable and photodegradable.

Probable Hybrid State of Cobalt in Hexafluorocobaltate (III)

The hybridization of an atom refers to the mixing of atomic orbitals to form new hybrid orbitals. In the case of cobalt in hexafluorocobaltate (III), the probable hybrid state is sp3d2. Let's explore why this is the case:

The Central Atom: Cobalt (Co)
- Cobalt is a transition metal with the electronic configuration [Ar] 3d7 4s2.
- In order to form stable compounds, cobalt undergoes hybridization to achieve a more favorable arrangement of its valence electrons.

Electronic Configuration of Cobalt in Hexafluorocobaltate (III)
- Hexafluorocobaltate (III) refers to the complex ion [CoF6]3-, where cobalt is in the +3 oxidation state.
- The 3+ charge on the cobalt ion indicates the loss of three electrons, resulting in the electronic configuration [Ar] 3d6.
- The six fluoride ions (F-) each contribute one electron, resulting in a total of six additional electrons in the complex.

Determining the Hybridization State
To determine the hybridization state of cobalt in hexafluorocobaltate (III), we need to consider the following factors:

1. Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) Theory
- VSEPR theory predicts that the arrangement of electron pairs around a central atom is determined by minimizing electron-electron repulsion.
- In the case of hexafluorocobaltate (III), the complex has an octahedral geometry, with the six fluorine atoms surrounding the central cobalt atom.

2. Ligand Field Theory
- Ligand field theory explains the behavior of transition metal complexes by considering the interaction between the metal and the ligands.
- In this case, the fluoride ions act as ligands and donate their electron pairs to the cobalt ion.

3. Crystal Field Theory
- Crystal field theory describes the splitting of d orbitals in a transition metal complex due to the presence of ligands.
- In an octahedral field, the d orbitals split into two sets of different energies: the lower energy set (t2g) and the higher energy set (eg).

4. High Spin Complex
- Hexafluorocobaltate (III) is a high spin complex, meaning that the electrons occupy the available orbitals in a way that maximizes their spin.
- In a high spin complex, the electron configuration is determined by filling the orbitals with parallel spins before pairing electrons.
- In this case, the six electrons in the 3d subshell of cobalt will occupy the available d orbitals in a high spin manner.

5. Hybridization State
- Considering the octahedral geometry, the cobalt ion will undergo hybridization to form six hybrid orbitals.
- The combination of one 3s, three 3p, and two 3d orbitals gives rise to a set of six sp3d2 hybrid orbitals.
- These hybrid orbitals will then overlap with the ligand orbitals to form sigma bonds.

Conclusion