Among the inner transition metals, Actinoids possess a significantly greater tendency to form comple — d and f Block Elements Chemistry Question
Question
Among the inner transition metals, Actinoids possess a significantly greater tendency to form complex coordination compounds than Lanthanoids. What fundamental quantum/structural factors directly drive this phenomenon?
Answer: D
💡 Solution & Explanation
The higher charge density (due to the more severe actinide contraction) makes them stronger Lewis acids. Additionally, the $5f$ orbitals in actinoids are less buried than the $4f$ orbitals in lanthanoids, allowing for much more effective spatial overlap and interaction with ligand lone pairs.
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