Coordination chemistry of organometallic or inorganic binary group 14/16 units towards d-block and f-block metal atoms

Abstract

Multinary complexes and clusters that combine transition metal or lanthanoid atoms with main group (semi-)metal atoms and chalcogenides provide a large variety of structural and electronic properties, which is why they have been subject to an enormous research activity during the past decades. As multifaceted as the products of according syntheses reactions are the preparative approaches themselves. This review article sheds light on this chapter of synthetic inorganic chemistry from a coordination chemical point of view, and with a specific focus on work that was carried out in Germany. The overview addresses compounds that are based on the elemental combination M/T/E, with M being a transition metal or lanthanoid atom, T being a group 14 (semi-)metal (=tetrel) atom, and E being O, S, Se, or Te. The compounds were received by reactions of binary T/E precursor molecules, and may be (a) ligand free or (b) ligand-protected at the M, T, and/or E atoms. While the article does not elaborate too much on synthetic details, it summarizes structures and selected properties of the complexes, thereby leading from small complexes with one transition metal or lanthanoid atom only, through dinuclear, ring, and chain structures to cage-type complexes and clusters. All elemental combinations of T and E will be addressed in this comprehensive collection of the known compounds, thereby indicating the extremely broad spectrum of possible – and actually realized – compositions, structures and concomitant chemical and physical properties.