Bridging Carbonyl Greens in Fe3(CO)12

Fe3(CO)12 is a compound that contains three iron atoms and twelve carbon monoxide (CO) groups. The CO groups in this compound can act as either terminal or bridging ligands.

Bridging Ligands:

Bridging ligands are those ligands that can bond with two or more metal atoms simultaneously. They form a bridge between two or more metal atoms. In Fe3(CO)12, some of the CO groups can act as bridging ligands.

Terminal Ligands:

Terminal ligands are those ligands that can bond with only one metal atom. In Fe3(CO)12, some of the CO groups can act as terminal ligands.

Bridging Carbonyl Greens:

Bridging carbonyl groups are those carbonyl groups that form a bridge between two or more metal atoms. They are also called the bridging ligands. In Fe3(CO)12, there are two bridging carbonyl groups present.

Explanation:

In Fe3(CO)12, there are a total of twelve CO groups. Out of these twelve CO groups, eight CO groups are terminal ligands, and four CO groups are bridging ligands. The bridging ligands are the ones that form a bridge between two or more metal atoms.

Since there are three iron atoms present in Fe3(CO)12, the bridging ligands can form a bridge between these three iron atoms. Thus, there are two bridging carbonyl groups present in Fe3(CO)12. These two carbonyl groups form a bridge between the three iron atoms, as shown below:

Fe--(CO)2--Fe--(CO)2--Fe

Therefore, the correct answer is '2' - there are two bridging carbonyl greens present in Fe3(CO)12.