Metal Complexes throughout the Periodic Table

Creating Metal Complexes throughout the Periodic Table 

As we described in Chapter 2 the periodic table is useful because it organizes the elements into groups that share similar characteristics and reactivities. As a result, it s useful to look at the different element groups to think about how they form coordination compounds with different characteristics and reactivities. In this section, we describe the characteristics of the coordination complex in terms of the different element groups across the periodic table. 

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Compared to the sum of covalent radii, metal-silicon single bonds are significantly shortened. This phenomenon is explained by a partial multiple bonding between the metal and silicon [62]. A comparison of several metal complexes throughout the periodic table shows that the largest effects occur with the heaviest metals. However, conclusions drawn concerning the thermodynamic stability of the respective M —Si bonds should be considered with some reservation [146], since in most cases the compared metals show neither the same coordination geometries nor the same oxidation states. 

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