ABSTRACT
The relative complexity of the chemistry of vanadium (V) arises from the existence of the commonly known oxidation states II, III, IV, and V, and from the behavior of their ionic and molecular species in solutions. Vanadium has a coordination number of 6 in most of its compounds and ions, although coordination numbers of 4, 5, and 8 have also been reported. Some features of the chemistry of vanadium(V) in aqueous solutions at intermediate pH values can be deduced from Latimer's Oxidation Potentials. Furthermore, it has only recently been recognized that the lower oxidation states of vanadium can also exhibit marked hydrolysis and association. In view of the complexity of the solution chemistry of vanadium, potential-pH diagrams can be useful in assessing the redox behavior of the different species containing vanadium in its various oxidation states.
