Crystal field theory

Crystal Field Theory (CFT) is a model that describes the breaking of degeneracies of electron orbital energies, particularly d-orbitals, due to the electrostatic interaction between a transition metal ion and surrounding ligands. It treats ligands as point charges or dipoles, and the interaction is purely electrostatic, ignoring any covalent bonding. This interaction causes the d-orbitals of the central metal ion to split into different energy levels, which explains the characteristic colors and magnetic properties of transition metal complexes.