Term: class (b) metal ion https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01095 Definition: A metal ion that combines preferentially with ligands containing ligating atoms other than the lightest of their Periodic Group. Related Terms: 1) class (a) metal ion (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01094). 2) hard acid (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.H02740). 3) ligands (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03518). Source: PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 1097 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466051077) Citation: 'class (b) metal ion' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01095 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.