Question

Discuss briefly giving an example in each case the role of coordination compound in:
(i) Biological systems (ii) Medicinal chemistry (ii) Analytical Chemistry (iv) Extraction/Metallurgy of metals

Answer 1

Hint: You should know that the chemistry of coordination compounds is an important and challenging area of modern inorganic chemistry. Here are the possible hints for each subpart - (i) You can discuss photosynthesis (ii) there is a compound which inhibits the growth of tumors (iii) you can discuss complex formed in the salt analysis (iv) you can discuss the complex which forms during the extraction of gold.

Complete step by step solution:
Now, we will discuss the role of complex in each field -
(i) The role of coordination compounds in biological systems:
We know that photosynthesis is made possible by the presence of the chlorophyll pigment. During photosynthesis, this pigment is a coordination compound of magnesium. In the human biological system also, there are several coordination compounds that play important roles. For example, the oxygen-carrier of blood, hemoglobin, is a coordination compound of iron.
(ii) Role of coordination compounds in medicinal chemistry:
There are certain coordination compounds of platinum (for example, cis-platin) that are used for inhibiting the growth of tumors.
(iii) Role of coordination compounds in analytical chemistry:
We should know that during salt analysis, a number of basic radicals are detected with the help of the color changes they exhibit with different reagents. These color changes are a result of the coordination compounds that the basic radicals form with different ligands.
(iv) Role of coordination compounds in extraction or metallurgy of metals:
We should know that the process of extraction of some of the metals from their ores involves the formation of complexes.
For example, in an aqueous solution, gold combines with cyanide ions to form $[Au(CN)_{ 2 }]$. From this solution, we can extract gold by the addition of zinc metal.

Therefore, we discussed the role of coordination compounds in all the fields mentioned.

Note: Here we should know that a major application of coordination compounds is their use as catalysts, which serve to alter the rate of chemical reactions.