Transition metal complexes containing all-carbon ligands

M. I. Bruce and P. J. Low, Transition metal complexes containing all-carbon ligands. Adv. Organomet. Chem. 50, 179-444 (2004). 

Transition Metal Complexes Containing All-Carbon Ligands... 

Bruce, Michael I., and Low, Paul J., Transition Metal Complexes Containing All-Carbon Ligands. 

The rapid development of the chemistry of transition metal complexes containing terminal carbene (A) or carbyne (B) ligands (7) has been followed more recently by much research centered on bridged methylene compounds (C) (2). The importance of /t-methylidyne complexes, whether in recently established binuclear examples (D), the well-known trinuclear derivatives (E), or the unusual complexes (F), has also become apparent. All are based on one-carbon (C,) fragments, and considerable interest is centered on their possible significance as models for intermediates in surface-catalyzed reactions between carbon monoxide and hydrogen (Fischer -Tropsch reactions) and related processes. These topics have been extensively ... 

Transition metal compounds containing nitric oxide as a coordinated ligand are normally called nitrosyl complexes. However, the term nitrosyl , is only sometimes restricted specifically to complexes which can be regarded as containing a three-electron metal-nitric oxide bond, and the term seems to be used generally for all nitric oxide compounds. Although there are many transition metal-nitrosyl complexes, relatively few also contain metal-carbon linkages and therefore fall within the subject of this chapter. 

Not mentioned in Table 2 (and often not in the original papers ) is the optical form (chirality) of the amino acids used. All the amino acids, except for glycine (R = H), contain an asymmetric carbon atom (the C atom). In the majority of cases the optical form used, whether l, d or racemic dl, makes little difference to the stability constants, but there are some notable exceptions (vide infra). Examination of the data in Table 2 reveals (i) that the order of stability constants for the divalent transition metal ions follows the Irving-Williams series (ii) that for the divalent transition metal ions, with excess amino acid present at neutral pH, the predominant spedes is the neutral chelated M(aa)2 complex (iii) that the species formed reflect the stereochemical preferences of the metal ions, e.g. for Cu 1 a 2 1 complex readily forms but not a 3 1 ligand metal complex (see Volume 5, Chapter 53). Confirmation of the species proposed from analysis of potentiometric data and information on the mode of bonding in solution has involved the use of an impressive array of spectroscopic techniques, e.g. UV/visible, IR, ESR, NMR, CD and MCD (magnetic circular dichroism). 

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