help with electron configuration concept in transition-metal ions?

[rainingspiders]

I'm confused about how to write the electron config for transition metal ions.

 

From what I understand, I would strip away all the highest s-orbital electrons. If the resulting charge is more than the stated ionic charge, then I add the missing electrons onto the d or f orbitals... is this correct?

 

So Ni+ would be [Ar]3d^9?

 

What if the element has an f orbital too, such as Ce? How would I write the charge for the ion for Ce+?

 

Thanks!

[Sensei]

What if the element has an f orbital too, such as Ce? How would I write the charge for the ion for Ce+?

 

Cerium will have Xenon as base [Xe].

[hypervalent_iodine]

Honestly, I'm not sure why you would be worrying about +1 states. The only transition metal to my knowledge that would really adopt that state is copper and it only has 1 4s electron. As a theoretical exercise, I think it would depend on the metal as to whether you'd take out all of the s electrons and move the left over into the d orbitals. For instance, I'm not sure Mn+ would prefer [Ar]3d6 over [Ar]4s1 3d5.

 

Similarly, you shouldn't need to worry about something like Ce+1. It seems unlikely that it would exist. Most lanthanides will happily sit in the III state, though sometimes as the less stable II or in other cases, as IV (but never V).

 

Are you actually being asked questions on these sorts of ions or are these just your own queries?

[rainingspiders]

I have been asked to find the +1 state of Ni and Ti so far, but none for the f-orbital groups yet