What is an organometallic

Due to the vastness of organometallics it is considered both an old and new branch of chemistry.


Organometallics fall under two rule

1/ "Organometallic chemistry is the discipline dealing with compounds containing at least one direct metal-carbon bond."


These bonds can be covalent Pb(C2H5)4, pie-dative such as Ferrocene Fe(C5H5)2 or even ionic such as ethylsodium Na+ C2H5-. This does not include a compound with both metal and organic group present but no diretct metal-carbon bond. This would include metal alkoxides, metal amides chelatecomplexes and metal salts of carboxilic acid. From this the seond definition can be deduced.

2/ "Organometallic chemistry deals with compounds in which an organics group is attached through carbon to an atom which is less electronegative than carbon."


This would therefore exclude organic compounds from the lighter halogens and chalcogens. organic derivatives of boron, silicon andarsenic are still included as these are metalloids. Organophosphorous compounds are so numerous that they are not included in organometallic chemistry. Organometallic chemistry embraces the organic derivatives of all of the alkali metals, non transition metals, transition metals(including the lanthanides the actenides) and of course the metalloids.




[History of organometallics] [18 electron rule] [Carbonyl compounds] [Alkene complexes] [Alkyne complexes] [Arene complexes] [Cyclopentadienyl complexes] [Industrial uses of oganometallics] [Glossary] [Links]