Zinc compounds
any chemical compound having at least one zinc atom
Zinc compounds are chemical compounds containing the element zinc which is a member of the group 12 of the periodic table. The oxidation state of zinc in most compounds is the group oxidation state of +2. Zinc may be classified as a post-transition main group element with zinc(II). Zinc compounds are noteworthy for their nondescript appearance and behavior: they are generally colorless (unlike compounds of other elements with oxidation number +2, which are colored), do not readily engage in redox reactions, and generally adopt symmetrical structures.
General characteristics
In its compounds, Zn2+ ions have an electronic configuration [Ar] 3d10. As such, Zn2+ tends to have a symmetrical coordination geometry in both its complexes and compounds. In both ZnO and ZnS, (zincblende) zinc is bound tetrahedrally bound to four ligands (oxide and sulfide, respectively). Many complexes, such as ZnCl42−, are tetrahedral. Tetrahedrally coordinated zinc is found in metallo-enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase. Six-coordinate octahedral complexes are also common, such as the aquo complex [Zn(H2O)6]2+, which is present when a zinc salts are dissolved in water.
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