Bite angle

In coordination chemistry, the bite angle is the angle on a central atom between two bonds to a bidentate ligand. This ligand–metal–ligand geometric parameter is used to classify chelating ligands, including those in organometallic complexes. It is most often discussed in terms of catalysis, as changes in bite angle can affect not just the activity and selectivity of a catalytic reaction but even allow alternative reaction pathways to become accessible.

Although the parameter can be applied generally to any chelating ligand, it is commonly applied to describe diphosphine ligands, as they can adopt a wide range of bite angles.