Complex ions and oxidation states
Complex ions and oxidation states
Many aqueous transition metal ions are actually complex ions such as [Cu(H2O)6]2+[\text{Cu}(\text{H}_{2}\text{O})_{6}]^{2+}[Cu(H2O)6]2+. A ligand donates a lone pair to the metal ion, so most reactions either change the ligands or change the oxidation state of the metal.