File:Chapter-27 Coordination Chemistry - Crystal Field Stabilization Energy (CFSE) pp 221-228.pdf

The crystal field stabilization energy (CFSE) is defined as the stability achieved by placing a transition metal ion in the crystal field originated by a group of ligands arranged in a particular symmetry. It is the result of the splitting of the d orbitals in the ligand field. Some of the orbitals become higher and some lower in energy after splitting. The electrons occupying the lower set of orbitals result in the stabilization of the central metal ion of the coordination complex by the amount of energy called crystal field stabilization energy. The CFSE will depend on multiple factors including the geometry of the coordination compounds (which changes the d-orbital splitting patterns), number of d-electrons, spin pairing energy, crystal field splitting energy (Δ), and strength of ligand (Spectrochemical series).