1.12 Metals

Metals are occasionally involved in organic chemistry. Metals are elements whose atoms have a tendency to lose electrons, becoming positively charged ions. An ion is just an atom or molecule that has gained or lost electrons. Metals may form compounds with organic acids; we will examine some acids in section V.

Some metals can form covalent bonds with atoms of organic molecules. There are also molecules whose shape allows them to hold onto metal ions, in a type of bond called coordination where electrons in the organic molecule attract the ion's positive charge. The act of an organic molecule coordinating to a metal ion is called chelation.

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