3d orbital orientation Octahedral Crystal Fields

In the crystal field model, the central metal ion is treated as positive while the ligands are negative point charges (represented by white spheres in the figures below). The orientation of each of the five d orbitals in an octahedral field can be superimposed and related to edges or faces of a cube.

Adapted from http://wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm/courses/CFT_Orbs.html
by Prof. Robert J. Lancashire, The Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica.



dx2-y2    dz2
The electron density (i.e., the lobes of the orbitals) lies directly in line with the ligand's non-bonding electron pairs on the axes.
dxy    dxz    dyz
The electron density lies in between the ligand's non-bonding electron pairs.


Orbital data calculated with Jmol using routines by Bob Hanson
http://www.stolaf.edu/academics/chemapps/jmol/

Copyright © 2006-2015 by Robert John Lancashire, all rights reserved.

Created and maintained by Prof. Robert J. Lancashire,
The Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies,
Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica.
Created June 2006. Links checked and/or last modified 14th March, 2015.
URL http://wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm/courses/CFT_Orbs.html