Which of the following is ann oxidizing agent?

Options

A. `Mn(CO)_(5)`
B. `Fe(CO)_(5)`
C. `Mn_(2)(CO)_(10)`
D. `Fe_(2)(CO)_(9)`

Explanation

To determine which of the given compounds is an oxidizing agent, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Definition of an Oxidizing Agent
An oxidizing agent is a substance that gains electrons in a chemical reaction and, in doing so, causes another substance to be oxidized. This means that the oxidizing agent itself is reduced.

### Step 2: Identify the Oxidation States
For each compound, we need to determine the oxidation state of the central metal atom. This will help us understand how many electrons are being gained or lost.

### Step 3: Calculate the Effective Atomic Number (EAN)
The Effective Atomic Number (EAN) can be calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{EAN} = Z - \text{oxidation state} + \text{number of electrons contributed by ligands} \]
Where \( Z \) is the atomic number of the metal.

### Step 4: Analyze the Compounds
Let’s analyze the given compounds one by one:

1. **Manganese Complex (Mn(CO)₅)**:
- Atomic number of Mn = 25
- Oxidation state = 0 (since CO is a neutral ligand)
- Ligand contribution = 5 CO ligands × 2 electrons each = 10 electrons
- EAN = \( 25 - 0 + 10 = 35 \)

If Mn gains 1 electron, EAN becomes \( 35 + 1 = 36 \), which is stable (like Krypton).

2. **Other Complexes**:
- For the other complexes, you would similarly calculate the EAN and check if they reach a stable configuration (36 electrons).

### Step 5: Determine the Oxidizing Agent
The compound that can gain electrons to reach a stable EAN (36) is acting as the oxidizing agent. In this case, since Mn(CO)₅ can gain an electron to achieve a stable configuration, it acts as the oxidizing agent.

### Conclusion
The oxidizing agent among the given options is **Mn(CO)₅**.

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