Coordination compounds, decompositions

The physical and chemical properties are less well known for transition metals than for the alkaU metal fluoroborates (Table 4). Most transition-metal fluoroborates are strongly hydrated coordination compounds and are difficult to dry without decomposition. Decomposition frequently occurs during the concentration of solutions for crysta11i2ation. The stabiUty of the metal fluorides accentuates this problem. Loss of HF because of hydrolysis makes the reaction proceed even more rapidly. Even with low temperature vacuum drying to partially solve the decomposition, the dry salt readily absorbs water. The crystalline soflds are generally soluble in water, alcohols, and ketones but only poorly soluble in hydrocarbons and halocarbons. 

This section is almost entirely concerned with the kinetics of solid phase decompositions of classical coordination compounds, since most of the information available refers to these substances. The hydrates, in which the ligands are water only, are correctly classified under the present heading, but as their dehydrations have been so intensively studied, a separate section (Sect. 1) has been devoted to the removal of water from crystalline hydrates. A separate water elimination step also preceeds many decomposition reactions. 

There is an extensive literature devoted to the preparation and structure determination of coordination compounds. Thermal analysis (Chap. 2, Sect. 4) has been widely and successfully applied in determinations [1113, 1114] of the stoichiometry and thermochemistry of the rate processes which contribute to the decompositions of these compounds. These stages may overlap and may be reversible, making non-isothermal kinetic data of dubious value (Chap. 3, Sect. 6). There is, however, a comparatively small number of detailed isothermal kinetic investigations, together with supporting microscopic and other studies, of the decomposition of coordination compounds which yields valuable mechanistic information. 

Many investigations of the decompositions of coordination compounds have been concerned with the qualitative identification of the steps involved, characterization of any intermediates formed and comparisons of reactivities of related salts containing systematically varied constituents. Observations and conclusions from such work [1113,1114] are outside the scope of this review, though the results can serve to identify systems worthy of more detailed investigation. The content of this section, reflecting the content of the relevant literature, is restricted to accounts of the behaviour of a number of representative substances. Features distinguishing these reactions from those of simple salts are emphasized. 

Comparative studies [1127] of the kinetics of decomposition of similar salts containing related pyridine ligands have been used to investigate the strength of M—N bonds in coordination compounds. Non-isothermal DSC measurements were used to determine values of E for the reactions... 

It is apparent, from the above short survey, that kinetic studies have been restricted to the decomposition of a relatively few coordination compounds and some are largely qualitative or semi-quantitative in character. Estimations of thermal stabilities, or sometimes the relative stabilities within sequences of related salts, are often made for consideration within a wider context of the structures and/or properties of coordination compounds. However, it cannot be expected that the uncritical acceptance of such parameters as the decomposition temperature, the activation energy, and/or the reaction enthalpy will necessarily give information of fundamental significance. There is always uncertainty in the reliability of kinetic information obtained from non-isothermal measurements. Concepts derived from studies of homogeneous reactions of coordination compounds have often been transferred, sometimes without examination of possible implications, to the interpretation of heterogeneous behaviour. Important characteristic features of heterogeneous rate processes, such as the influence of defects and other types of imperfection, have not been accorded sufficient attention. 

Formulation of the detailed mechanisms of decomposition of coordination compounds are likely to remain difficult. Reliable kinetic and supporting observations are not easily obtained where several initiating reactions are possible and subsequent chemical changes may occur, before the first-formed product has left the crystallite of reactant. 

Formation of fluoride-containing coordination compounds by decomposition of transition-metal tetrafluoroborates. J. Reedijk, Comments Inorg. Chem., 1982,1, 379-389 (34). 

Werner complex See coordination compound. ver-nor, kam,picks ) wet aahing org chem The conversion of an organic compound into ash (decomposition) by treating the compound with nitric or sulfuric acid. wet ash-ii) wettability chem The ability of any solid surface to be wetted when in contact with a liquid that is, the surface tension of the liquid is reduced so that the liquid spreads over the surface.. wed-a bil-od-e ... 

Tris(2,2 -bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) dication ([Ru(bipy)3]2+) is one of the most extensively studied coordination compounds in chemistry due to its potential for use in cyclic photochemical water decomposition. An extensive review of the complex appears elsewhere.116... 

Although few authors have said so in as many words, coordination compounds and complex ions are at the heart of every stage of the cycle. These include minerals, species in fluids ranging from aqueous solutions to silicate melts, complexes in sediments and asphalts, and chelates intimately involved in life processes and their decomposition products. 

Azo compound decomposition is much less susceptible to polar substituent effects, and so probably has less charge separation in the transition state,75 but is more sensitive to geometrical restrictions. Bridgehead azo compounds decompose at rates lower than expected on the basis of their tertiary nature, whereas peresters are much less strongly affected.70 The difference can be rationalized by the proposal that the transition state comes farther along the reaction coordinate in azo decomposition, so that the nonplanarity forced on the incipient radical by the ring system is felt more strongly there. 

A large class of coordination compounds, metal chelates, is represented in relation to microwave treatment by a relatively small number of reported data, mainly p-diketonates. Thus, volatile copper) II) acetylacetonate was used for the preparation of copper thin films in Ar — H2 atmosphere at ambient temperature by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [735a]. The formed pure copper films with a resistance of 2 3 pS2 cm were deposited on Si substrates. It is noted that oxygen atoms were never detected in the deposited material since Cu — O intramolecular bonds are totally broken by microwave plasma-assisted decomposition of the copper complex. Another acetylacetonate, Zr(acac)4, was prepared from its hydrate Zr(acac)4 10H2O by microwave dehydration of the latter [726]. It is shown [704] that microwave treatment is an effective dehydration technique for various compounds and materials. Use of microwave irradiation in the synthesis of some transition metal phthalocyanines is reported in Sec. 5.1.1. Their relatives - porphyrins - were also obtained in this way [735b]. 

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