Electromerism

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Electromerism is a type of isomerism between a pair of molecules (electromers, electro-isomers) differing in the way electrons are distributed among the atoms and the connecting chemical bonds. [1] In some literature electromerism is equated to valence tautomerism, [2] a term usually reserved for tautomerism involving reconnecting chemical bonds. [3]

One group of electromers are excited electronic states, but isomerism is usually limited to ground state molecules. Another group of electromers are also called redox isomers: metal ions that can exchange their oxidation state with their ligands (see non-innocent ligand). One of the first instances involved a cobalt(II)-quinone complex vs the related cobalt(III)-semiquinone species. Some metalloporphyrins exist as electromers. [4] [5] as well as a set without a metal. [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tautomer</span> Isomers of chemical compounds that interconvert

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Metal acetylacetonates are coordination complexes derived from the acetylacetonate anion (CH
3
COCHCOCH
3
) and metal ions, usually transition metals. The bidentate ligand acetylacetonate is often abbreviated acac. Typically both oxygen atoms bind to the metal to form a six-membered chelate ring. The simplest complexes have the formula M(acac)3 and M(acac)2. Mixed-ligand complexes, e.g. VO(acac)2, are also numerous. Variations of acetylacetonate have also been developed with myriad substituents in place of methyl (RCOCHCOR). Many such complexes are soluble in organic solvents, in contrast to the related metal halides. Because of these properties, acac complexes are sometimes used as catalyst precursors and reagents. Applications include their use as NMR "shift reagents" and as catalysts for organic synthesis, and precursors to industrial hydroformylation catalysts. C
5
H
7
O
2
in some cases also binds to metals through the central carbon atom; this bonding mode is more common for the third-row transition metals such as platinum(II) and iridium(III).

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Hexamethylbenzene, also known as mellitene, is a hydrocarbon with the molecular formula C12H18 and the condensed structural formula C6(CH3)6. It is an aromatic compound and a derivative of benzene, where benzene's six hydrogen atoms have each been replaced by a methyl group. In 1929, Kathleen Lonsdale reported the crystal structure of hexamethylbenzene, demonstrating that the central ring is hexagonal and flat and thereby ending an ongoing debate about the physical parameters of the benzene system. This was a historically significant result, both for the field of X-ray crystallography and for understanding aromaticity.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbene radical</span> Special class of organometallic carbenes

Carbene radicals are a special class of organometallic carbenes. The carbene radical can be formed by one-electron reduction of Fischer-type carbenes using an external reducing agent, or directly upon carbene formation at an open-shell transition metal complex using diazo compounds and related carbene precursors. Cobalt(III)-carbene radicals have found catalytic applications in cyclopropanation reactions, as well as in a variety of other catalytic radical-type ring-closing reactions.

The phosphaethynolate anion, also referred to as PCO, is the phosphorus-containing analogue of the cyanate anion with the chemical formula [PCO] or [OCP]. The anion has a linear geometry and is commonly isolated as a salt. When used as a ligand, the phosphaethynolate anion is ambidentate in nature meaning it forms complexes by coordinating via either the phosphorus or oxygen atoms. This versatile character of the anion has allowed it to be incorporated into many transition metal and actinide complexes but now the focus of the research around phosphaethynolate has turned to utilising the anion as a synthetic building block to organophosphanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trivalent group 14 radicals</span>

A trivalent group 14 radical (also known as a trivalent tetrel radical) is a molecule that contains a group 14 element (E = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) with three bonds and a free radical, having the general formula of R3E•. Such compounds can be categorized into three different types, depending on the structure (or equivalently the orbital in which the unpaired electron resides) and the energetic barrier to inversion. A molecule that remains rigidly in a pyramidal structure has an electron in a sp3 orbital is denoted as Type A. A structure that is pyramidal, but flexible, is denoted as Type B. And a planar structure with an electron that typically would reside in a pure p orbital is denoted as Type C. The structure of such molecules has been determined by probing the nature of the orbital that the unpaired electron resides in using spectroscopy, as well as directly with X-ray methods. Trivalent tetrel radicals tend to be synthesized from their tetravalent counterparts (i.e. R3EY where Y is a species that will dissociate).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hexaphosphabenzene</span> Chemical compound

Hexaphosphabenzene is a valence isoelectronic analogue of benzene and is expected to have a similar planar structure due to resonance stabilization and its sp2 nature. Although several other allotropes of phosphorus are stable, no evidence for the existence of P6 has been reported. Preliminary ab initio calculations on the trimerisation of P2 leading to the formation of the cyclic P6 were performed, and it was predicted that hexaphosphabenzene would decompose to free P2 with an energy barrier of 13−15.4 kcal mol−1, and would therefore not be observed in the uncomplexed state under normal experimental conditions. The presence of an added solvent, such as ethanol, might lead to the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds which may block the destabilizing interaction between phosphorus lone pairs and consequently stabilize P6. The moderate barrier suggests that hexaphosphabenzene could be synthesized from a [2+2+2] cycloaddition of three P2 molecules. Currently, this is a synthetic endeavour which remains to be conquered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transition metal nitrite complex</span> Chemical complexes containing one or more –NO₂ ligands

In organometallic chemistry, transition metal complexes of nitrite describes families of coordination complexes containing one or more nitrite ligands. Although the synthetic derivatives are only of scholarly interest, metal-nitrite complexes occur in several enzymes that participate in the nitrogen cycle.

Cobalt compounds are chemical compounds formed by cobalt with other elements.

References

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  2. Evangelio, E.; Ruiz-Molina, D. (2005). "Valence Tautomerism: New Challenges for Electroactive Ligands". European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. 2005 (15): 2957. doi:10.1002/ejic.200500323.
  3. Jones, L. W. (1917). "Electromerism, A Case of Chemical Isomerism Resulting from a Difference in Distribution of Valence Electrons". Science. 46 (1195): 493–502. Bibcode:1917Sci....46..493J. doi:10.1126/science.46.1195.493. PMID   17818241.
  4. Puschmann, F.; Harmer, J.; Stein, D.; Rüegger, H.; De Bruin, B.; Grützmacher, H. (2010). "Electromeric rhodium radical complexes". Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English. 49 (2): 385–389. doi:10.1002/anie.200903201. PMID   19957252.
  5. Puschmann, F.F.; Grützmacher, H.; de Bruin, B. (2010). "Rhodium(0) Metalloradicals in Binuclear C−H Activation". Journal of the American Chemical Society . 132 (1): 73–75. doi:10.1021/ja909022p. PMID   20000835.
  6. Müller, B.; Bally, T.; Gerson, F.; De Meijere, A.; Von Seebach, M. (2003). ""Electromers" of the tetramethyleneethane radical cation and their nonexistence in the octamethyl derivative: interplay of experiment and theory". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 125 (45): 13776–13783. doi:10.1021/ja037252v. PMID   14599217.