The stereochemistry of metal complexes as an indication of f-orbital participation in the metal–ligand bonding

The irreducible representations spanned by the seven f-orbitals in all common point group symmetries are given. Those point groups in which an irreducible representation is spanned by the f-orbitals but not by s-, p-, or d-orbitals are discussed, and molecular geometries which would be indicative of f-orbital participation described. A survey of the available crystal structure data is given and compared with the theory.