What’s happening?
The most likely path for this reaction involves proton attack on the
oxygen of the CO
3
2-
bonded to the Co.
This attack is followed by the elimination of CO
2
and protonation
of the hydroxo complex.
THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE SUBSTITUTION OF CO
3
2-
BY H
2
O.
[Co(NH
3
)
5
(OH
2
)]
3+