Figure 1
The structures of two important pseudo-octahedral transition metal complexes:
a) [Ru(bpy)3]2+ and b) Ir(ppy)3, where bpy is bipyridine and ppy is 2-phenylpyridyl. Sketches of the π (c) and π* (d) orbitals of a bpy ligand with the reflection plane marked by the dashed line. It is clear that these correspond to the bonding and antibonding combinations of singly occupied molecular orbitals of a pyridine radical.
