Square planar

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The general structure of a square planar molecule, with the central atom labelled pink.

The square planar molecular geometry in chemistry describes the spatial arrangements of atoms in a chemical compound

In this geometry co-ordination can be imagined to result when two ligands on the z-axis of an octahedron are removed from the complex, leaving only the ligands in the x-y plane. As the z-ligands move away, the ligands in the square plane move a little closer to the metal. So the orbital splitting diagram for square planar coordination can thus be derived from the octahedral diagram. d_z² falls most in energy. d_xz and d_yz also drop in energy but not as much. Conversely, d_x²-y² and d_xy increase in energy.

Examples of organometallic compounds with this geometry are Vaska's complex and Crabtree's catalyst

[edit] See also

• For the other possible molecular geometries: AXE method.