Discuss the chemical properties of metal carbonyls.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Metal carbonyls are coordination complexes where a transition metal has carbon monoxide ligands. They feature sigma and pi bonding, are generally stable, but prone to decomposition under heat or light, are involved in substitution, redox, and thermal or photolytic cleavage reactions.

Step by step solution

01

Structure & Bonding

Metal carbonyls are coordination complexes of transition metals with carbon monoxide ligands. The metal-carbon and oxygen bond in metal carbonyl is a kind of coordinate covalent bond. The carbon of the CO ligand is attached to the metal by a sigma bond and also a pi bond.
02

Stability & Reactivity

Generally, metal carbonyls are stable under certain conditions but can decompose upon heating or in the presence of light. They can undergo several types of reactions that include substitution, redox and thermal or photolytic cleavage.
03

Substitution Reactions

In substitution reactions, one or more CO ligands are replaced by other ligands. This happens in response to the heating or the presence of sunlight.
04

Redox Reactions

Redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one molecule to another. In the case of metal carbonyls, the metal in the complex can either be oxidized or reduced.
05

Thermal or Photolytic Cleavage

Thermal or photolytic cleavage involves the breakdown of the complex caused by heat or light, leading to the release of CO gas.

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