Bimetallic and Polymetallic Systems

The methylidyne and above-mentioned chloromethylidyne complexes, useful in the synthesis of elaborated alkylidynes, are also employed in the synthesis of bimetallic complexes spanned by hydrocarbon and carbon-only bridges. These latter reactions are described in a later section dedicated to such polymetallic systems. 

Recent investigations outline the involvement of this class of polymetallic compounds in reactions of fundamental importance to catalysis, such as inner-sphere oxidation or transmetalation. Given the widespread use of copper(l) and silver(l) salts - and, to a lesser extent, thallium(l) - as additives in palladium- and platinum-based catalytic systems, a systematic study of these reactions is warranted. Additionally, gathering further knowledge on the properties and reactivity of metal-metal-bound species is a critical step toward the rational design of truly bimetallic catalytic cycles. 

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