Among the following compounds, a normal spinel is · ABC26IN0400

Subject: Inorganic Chemistry · Chapter: Coordination Chemistry · Topic: Coordination – General · Exam: GATE 2005-2021 · Marks: 2 · Difficulty: Easy

Among the following compounds, a normal spinel is

(a)$\mathrm{MgFe}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}$

(b)$\mathrm{ZnFe}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}$

(c)$\mathrm{CoFe}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}$

(d)$\mathrm{CuFe}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{4}$

Answer

Answer: B ✓ checked by 4AB · confidence high

The source book printed no answer; this one was worked out and checked — see the explanation.

Explanation

Zn²⁺ (d¹⁰, no CFSE) prefers the tetrahedral sites, so ZnFe₂O₄ is a normal spinel; MgFe₂O₄, CoFe₂O₄ and CuFe₂O₄ are (largely) inverse.

Study loop for Coordination Chemistry