However with ligands, there can often be as many as six coordinate bonds to the central metal ion, yet the effect of these six electrons being donated don't affect the
overall charge? Even with neutral ligands like water, shouldn't there be a
formal charge per ligand, caused just by
dative covalent bonding? Only the charges of central metal ions e.g.
Cu^2+ or any charges on the ligands e.g.
Cl^- are included in the
overall charge of the
complex ion.
I hope I'm making sense here!