What is a common feature of linkage isomers?

Linkage isomers are a specific type of isomerism that arises from the different ways an ambidentate ligand can coordinate to a metal center. Ambidentate ligands possess two or more donor atoms and can bind through different atoms, leading to distinct structural arrangements while maintaining the same overall coordination number. For example, the nitrite ion (NO2−) can bind through the nitrogen atom or one of the oxygen atoms, resulting in different linkage isomers.

The formation of linkage isomers is particularly associated with ambidentate ligands because the different donor atoms can lead to unique coordination geometries. The key aspect is that it is the nature of the ambidentate ligands that gives rise to linkage isomerism, rather than the geometry of the complex or the overall molecular formula, which remains unchanged. Thus, the relationship between ambidentate ligands and linkage isomers is foundational to understanding their occurrence in coordination chemistry.