Chemistry - CHEMICAL BONDING Question with Solution | TestHub

Cations with an $(n-1)d^{10}n{s}^0$ configuration are said to have a pseudo-inert gas configuration.

The 10 electrons present in the inner $d$-orbitals offer a very poor shielding effect against the nuclear charge.

Due to this poor shielding, the nucleus pulls the outer electron cloud more strongly, resulting in a higher effective nuclear charge ($Z_{eff}$).

This high $Z_{eff}$ allows the cation to strongly attract and distort the electron cloud of an anion, leading to its greater polarizing power.