Metal alkoxides structural theory

In 1950s and 1960s Bradley developed the structure theory for metal alkoxides, based on the principle that metal atoms should achieve maximal coordination at minimal molecular complexity of the aggregate, [M(OR) ]m. 

The data in Table 2.3 show that the values of molecular association predicted by the simple theory of Bradley are in reasonable agreement with those observed experimentally. When the bulk of information collected from spectroscopic and other physicochemical measurements is combined with Bradley s structural theory as well as with the knowledge of structures obtained from the more recent X-ray crystallographic studies, a general classification of the possible structural types (Fig. 2.1) becomes feasible. However, it is not still possible to predict precisely the structure for any given metal alkoxide, and sometimes more than one structural type is possible. 

---