Ligands may be classified as
(a) Monodentate/Unidentate: Ligands bound to the central metal atom/ion through a single donor atom.
Ex- Cl- ; H2O ; NH3 ; NO2- .
(b) Didentate: Ligates through two donor atoms.
Ex- C2O42- (ox); H2NCH2CH2NH2(en)
(c) Polydentate: which ligates through two or more donor atoms present in a single ligand.
Ex- (EDTA)4-
(d) Chelating ligands: Di- or polydentate ligands that uses two or more donor atoms to bind to a single metal ion to form ring- like complexes. (Ox); (edta)
(e) Ambidentate ligand: A ligand that can ligate through two different atoms, one at a time.
Ex- NO2- ; SCN-
