How strong is the Ag+–ligand bond?

A computationally efficient method for calculating the affinity of the silver ion for C-, H-, N-, O- and S-containing ligands is proposed. The silver affinities of 18 ligands and the geometries of these complexes are reported. By comparing with experimental data, the root-mean-square error of this method is found to be 8 kJ mol−1. Our results suggest that even though the interaction between Ag+ and the ligands studied is predominantly electrostatic in nature, covalent interaction is important in determining the relative ligand affinity and geometry of the complexes.