Organometallic Chemistry Flashcards
What is an organometallic complex?
A complex that contains at least one metal-carbon bond between one or more carbon atoms of an organic group or molecule and a main group, transition, lanthanide or actinide metal atom.
What effect do π acceptor (acid) ligands have on ΔO?
ΔO is increased as the electron density is transferred to ligand π* orbital so the t2g set is lowered in energy.
These are strong field ligands such as CO, PR3 and CN-.
What effect do π donor (basic) ligands have on ΔO?
ΔO is decreased as the electron density is transferred from ligand π orbital or lone pairs so the t2g set is raised in energy.
These are weak field ligands such as Cl, O and F.
What does ‘a’ mean?
Singly degenerate, symmetric with respect to rotation around the principal axis.
What does ‘b’ mean?
Singly degenerate, antisymmetric with respect to rotation around the principal axis.
What does ‘e’ mean?
Doubly degenerate.
What does ‘t’ mean?
Triply degenerate.
What does ‘g’ mean?
Centre of symmetry, even with respect to inversion.
What does ‘u’ mean?
No centre of symmetry, odd with respect to inversion.
What is included in the early metals?
Groups 1, 2 and 3 including the Lanthanides and Actinides.
What is included in the mid-metals?
Metals in the middle of the d-block (roughly group 4-7).
What is included in the late metals?
Metals after group 7.
What is a σ bond?
A bond that has zero nodal planes including the bond axis.
What is a π bond?
A bond that has one nodal plane including the bond axis.
What is a δ bond?
A bond that has two nodal planes including the bond axis. This is caused by two d-orbitals.
What does ηn mean?
The number of carbon atoms that are bound to a single metal atom.
What does μn mean?
The number of metal atoms that are connected to a single bridging carbon atom.
What are the four main types of organometallic complexes?
Ionic (charge separated)
Electron deficient
σ-bonding only
π-bonding
What are ionic (charge separated) organometallic complexes?
These form with only the most electropositive elements and are highly reactive and unstable. They are more stable if the charge can be stabilised by delocalisation.
What are electron deficient organometallic complexes?
Occurs when there are insufficient electrons to fill valence orbitals and form 2-centre-2-electron bonds between all atoms. This results in multi-centre bonding between R and two or more metal centres.
What are σ-bonding only organometallic complexes?
Occurs with closed-shell transition metal and main group centres, often leading to volatile compounds.
What are π-bonding organometallic complexes?
The interaction of π and π* orbitals of organic ligands with metal based orbitals.
This is especially prevalent with transition metal and zero valent lanthanides.
What is coordinative unsaturation?
Compounds which have less than an 18-electron count are coordinatively unsaturated and there may be a tendency to add further ligands.
This is because there must be one or more vacant orbital available.
What is coordinative saturation?
Complexes that have an 18-electron count are coordinatively saturated. For any reactivity to occur, they will most likely lose a ligand first.
What is the Pauling electroneutrality principle?
Neutral molecules, or those with a ±1 or ±2 charge, are more likely to form than highly charged species.
This is because the greater the charge, the greater the tendency to react.
What is the isolobal analogy?
Two fragments, often an organometallic fragment to an organic fragment, are related. They are deemed isolobal if the:
number,
symmetry properties,
approximate energy and,
shape
of their frontier orbitals as well as the number of electrons occupying them are similar.
What is an important consequence of the isolobal analogy?
Molecules constructed from isolobal fragments are themselves isolobal.
What is isolobal to a CH3 group?
A d7ML5 group.