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Direct Bonds Between Metal Atoms: Zn, Cd, and Hg Compounds with Metal–Metal Bonds
Author(s) -
Carmona Ernesto,
Galindo Agustín
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.200704568
Subject(s) - zinc , chemistry , metal , group 2 organometallic chemistry , cadmium , molecule , mercury (programming language) , organometallic chemistry , inorganic chemistry , crystallography , crystal structure , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
The synthesis and characterization of [Zn 2 (η 5 ‐C 5 Me 5 ) 2 ], a stable molecular compound with a ZnZn bond and the first example of a dimetallocene structure, has opened a new chapter in the organometallic chemistry of zinc and in metallocene chemistry. The existence of two directly bonded zinc atoms demonstrates that the [ZnZn] 2+ unit, the lightest Group 12 homologue of the well‐known [HgHg] 2+ ion, can be stabilized by appropriate ligands. Activity in this area has increased enormously in the few years since the determination of the structure of this molecule. Numerous theoretical studies have been devoted to the investigation of the electronic, structural, and spectroscopic properties of this and related compounds, and new metal–metal coordination and organometallic compounds of zinc, cadmium, and mercury have been synthesized and structurally characterized. This Minireview gives an overview of activity in this field during the past three to four years.