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High spin and low spin: d⁶ template

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Octahedral d⁶ Fe²⁺: high-spin [Fe(H₂O)₆]²⁺ (t₂g⁴eg², 4 unpaired, 4.90 μB) against low-spin [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ (t₂g⁶, diamagnetic), with CFSE and the spectrochemical series.

What the template shows

The same d⁶ ion (Fe²⁺) in a weak and a strong octahedral field
High spin, weak field
Δo < pairing energy P: electrons spread over all five orbitals first
free ion (d⁶)
t₂g⁴ eg² · 4 unpaired · μ(spin only) = 4.90 μB
Low spin, strong field
Δo > P: all six electrons pair in t₂g
t₂g⁶ · 0 unpaired · μ(spin only) = 0.00 μB
Whether electrons pair depends on Δo against the pairing energy P: weak-field ligands (H₂O, F⁻) give high spin, strong-field ligands (CN⁻, CO) low spin.
CFSE = (−0.4 × n(t₂g) + 0.6 × n(eg)) Δo, plus P for each pair beyond those in the free ion: low-spin d⁶ costs 2P extra.
Spin-only moment μ = √(n(n + 2)) μB: 4.90 μB for four unpaired electrons, 0 for low-spin d⁶.
Only d⁴ to d⁷ octahedral ions have a high-spin/low-spin choice; tetrahedral complexes are almost always high spin (Δt is small).
Every part of this figure is editable · sources on the template card

Drawn with 81 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Is the High spin and low spin: d⁶ template free?

You can preview the High spin and low spin: d⁶ template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.

Can I edit the High spin and low spin: d⁶ template?

Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.

Is the chemistry checked?

Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.

Which MO diagrams are included?

H₂ and He₂, N₂ and O₂ (showing s–p mixing and paramagnetic O₂), and carbon monoxide.