lability

In chemistry, lability refers to the tendency of a substance, particularly coordination compounds, to undergo rapid chemical change or breakdown. This is a kinetic property, meaning it relates to reaction rates, and should not be confused with thermodynamic stability.123

A labile complex reacts quickly, typically within about one minute under specific conditions (0.1 M solution at room temperature). In contrast, an inert complex reacts much more slowly. For example, some cyanide complexes are thermodynamically stable but kinetically labile, meaning they exchange ligands rapidly. Lability can be influenced by factors such as the electronic configuration of the central metal atom.3