Bonding and stereochemistry of three-coordinated transition metal compounds

Abstract

Transition metal complexes with coordination number three were considered to be characteristic of the late transition elements with d 10 configurations. The synthesis and characterization of a growing number of compounds with low coordination numbers and electron configurations from d 0 to d 8 calls for a revision of our concepts regarding the bonding and stereochemistry of such compounds. This contribution presents a general survey of molecular orbital studies on the electronic structure of coordinatively unsaturated three-coordinated complexes and discusses the presently known structures both in discrete molecules and in extended arrays.