Introduction to Ligand Field Theory

Ligand field theory is a conerstone of modern coordination chemistry. Ligand field theory creates a simple, yet effctive and pictorial language in which a multitude of properties of coordination complexes can be succesfully accounted for. In this chapter an elementary and non-mathematical introduction to ligand field theory is provided which is aimed at a non-expert audience with mainly experimental background. The chapter stresses important fundamental concepts and proceeds to the stage where comparison between theory and experiment is possible.