https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.AT06990
In trigonal bipyramidal structures with a five-coordinate @C00930@, the stabilization achieved through a ligand changing its position from @E02174@ to apical (axial). The apicophilicity of an atom or a group is evaluated by either the energy difference between the @S05984@ (permutational isomers) containing the ligand in apical and @E02174@ positions or the energy barrier to permutational @I03295@ (see also @P04934@). In general, the greater the @E01990@ and the stronger the π-electron-withdrawing properties of a ligand (as for Cl, F, CN), the higher is its apicophilicity. The notion of apicophilicity has been extended to four-coordinate bisphenoidal and three-coordinate T-shaped structures, which can be viewed as trigonal bipyramidal species where, respectively, one or two vertices are occupied by phantom @L03518@ (lone electron pairs).
Source:
PAC, 1999, 71, 1919. (Glossary of terms used in theoretical organic chemistry) on page 1923 [Terms] [Paper]