Question

What is crystal field splitting energy?

Answer 1

1. In an octahedral complex, the d-orbitals of the central metal ion divide into two sets of different energies. The separation in energy is the crystal field splitting energy.

2. The d-orbitals lying along the axes dx², dy² and dz² orbitals will experience strong repulsion and raise in energy to a greater extent than the orbitals with lobes directed between the axes (d_xy, d_yz and d_zx). Thus the degenerate d-orbitals now split into two sets and the process is called crystal filled splitting.